


Absolute

by Vanilla_Specs



Series: Unimaginable [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), Boys Will Be Boys, Calm before the storm that is a destroyed capital, Did I mention potential spoilers?, Fluff, Fluffy stupid shit, Gladio getting hurt just happens I'm sorry, Gladio is big softie, Gladio spikes Iggy's Ebony, Going into the roadtrip, Humor, I don't know what I was doing, I hurt Iggy many times in many fics so meh, I mean probable spoilers for ep Ignis and main story, I'm just blind, Iggy is supportive boyfriend, Implied Sexual Content, It's complete I swear, Its safe I swear he meant good by it, Like cheesy fluffy shit, M/M, Never have I ever written a good chapter, Night before shit happens, Noct is a bit of a dick in chapter 4, Noct is a lazy shit, Prom and Noct are definitely lightweights, Promises not to do stupid shit, Prompto is a lil ray of sunshine i don't wanna hurt, We all know what happens in Ep Ignis, Where the fuck is the button to mark this complete?, You can ignore the never have i ever shit, brotherhood era, but only mildly, established Gladnis, fluffy shit, jk i love him so i hurt him, like it's hardly even mentioned but y'know the drill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-06-03 14:49:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 45,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19466257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanilla_Specs/pseuds/Vanilla_Specs
Summary: Set a few years after Surprise, but can be read standalone.The boys are setting out for Altissia, but nothing ever goes according to plan as they'll soon find out. What was meant to be a simple and straightforward journey, end's up a series of trials and tribulations for all of them, losses ensue and friendships are tested, but the main thing is they stick together. Starting on the eve of the road trip, to the end of the line, thing's will only get harder from here.





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is but I'm bored and inspired so why not make a series? Welcome to the first chapter of my second instalment in the series! This chapter is quite short but it's more of an intro so it doesn't matter much I guess.

"Do we have to help? Like- Really?" Gladio asked, practically on his knees begging and pleading for Ignis not to make him continue.

Said man just stared at him with mild amusement. "Gladio… Need I remind you we're Noct's friends as well as retainers? It's common decency. Now, make yourself useful and help me."

With a hefty sigh of defeat Gladio grumbled his way over to help Ignis move some boxes and furniture. It was the night before they were to set out for Altissia and Noct roped the pair- and Prompto against his will- into helping clear his apartment. The process took the better part of the day so far and was creeping into night, to the despair of Ignis, wanting them all to get an early night lest there be endless moaning tomorrow.

"Noct… You're meant to be packing those, not reading them." Ignis quirked an eyebrow at the Prince, currently holed away reading a comic while the rest of the work.

"Right- Sorry Specs. I'm just so tired and bored… Shoulda started this yesterday." Noct spared a glance at his Adviser only to be plagued with a hard stare.

"I said that. Multiple times. Perhaps one day you'll listen to me"

"He gotcha there Princess, even blondie told you so." Gladio gestured to Prompto, packing away the DVD's and CD's.

Noct huffed and threw the comic in the box, rising to his feet to raid the cupboards, a hand on his stomach. "Hey, Specs we got any snacks left? I'm starving."

"I'm afraid not. Though there is fruit in the fridge." Noct simply grimaced and Ignis rolled his eyes. "I'll visit the shop and prepare something shortly, I trust you won't waste away until then?"

Noctis grunted and nodded in affirmation, returning to his corner and continuing to throw books and comic books alike into a box. Gladio nudged Ignis with his elbow and cocked a smile, to which the latter frowned at in partial confusion, turning away to tie off yet another rubbish bag.

True to his word, Ignis excused himself after a short while, trusting Gladio to keep the younger men engaged and productive. The apartment was clean and packed, aside from the things Ignis left out to use for dinner and a couple of blankets, a roll of toilet roll and toothbrushes. Prompto planned to stay with Noct overnight, Ignis would go home and go over the agenda and the like, Gladio would just do whatever he usually does. Which is bug his boyfriend continuously and then steal his bed.

When the Adviser eventually returned, Noct had persuaded Prompto to act starved and sleep deprived, thus trying to sway Ignis into calling it a night. 

"The kids missed you, Iggy." Gladio joked, referring to the silent pleading of the younger men, still rolling around like a pair of drama queens or in Noct’s case; Drama Prince. A fitting title beside the Prince of Naps. 

"Dad was negligent." Chided Noct. By the way his pout had formed a smirk, he'd do or say anything to get some reaction from his friend, minus Prompto's snickering. 

"Apparently so. The pair of you can stop the theatrics now, rather than attempt to goad or force a healthy meal into you, I look the liberty of ordering you a pizza. And with the apartment practically clean, we can retire, do clean up after yourselves."

While Noct and Prompto celebrated, Gladio rose to stand beside Ignis, a soft smile on his lips. "You're too soft, Igs." 

"Perhaps. But it's in everyone's best interest we wrap this up quickly, surely a cranky Prince isn't your idea of a good start either." Ignis flashed a smile and before Gladio could reply he'd set about finishing up the packing. Namely sellotaping the boxes shut.

That left nothing for him to do but haul ass out, before Ignis could find or remember something to do. "C'mon Iggy, they'll be fine."

"I'll be over tomorrow morning to finish preparations. Noct, let me make myself clear now, I will not hesitate to drag you out of bed tomorrow." The bespeckled man put on his 'mom' voice, Noct looking momentarily shocked that Ignis would do such a thing but that faded into a wry smile. 

"Gotcha Specky. Later guys!"

"See ya Igster! Later Gladio!"

With a last goodbye, Gladio practically dragged his boyfriend to the car, desperate to leave and get some sleep, or fool around. Whichever came first. So, with Ignis deposited in the car, Gladio started driving back to his partners place, it wasn't as though the Shield pretty much lived there, too. So much so that Ignis permitted him to store a few cup noodles in the cupboard and an extra toothbrush in the bathroom. 

Sure enough, as soon as they entered the apartment Gladio beelined straight to bed, with little regard for his clothes or a shower. On the other hand, Ignis stayed in the kitchen to review things at least once more, consulting the map and his notebook as well as various messages and emails. 

In theory the journey was simple enough, drive to Galdin Quay and board the ferry to Altissia, everything would fall into place once they arrived. Meet with Lunafreya, finish the wedding preparations, complete introductions and then Noctis would marry. It would be down to their Prince when they returned to Lucis but seemingly there isn’t a rush to come back. 

“You coming to bed or what?”

Ignis glanced up from his notebook to see Gladio leaning in the doorway, shirtless and sleepy. “In time. I thought you were asleep.”

“Nah, almost but I can’t sleep without you, C’mon Igs, you’ve looked over that stuff so much I’m surprised you ain’t memorised it. Do I have to carry you?” Gladio spoke in a way that made Ignis’ eyebrow twitch. “Love the new glasses by the way.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Said the Adviser, adjusting his glasses as he did so. The old thick-rimmed glasses had been replaced by a much more adult and stylish type, they certainly helped sway Gladio more often than not.

The Shield huffed and flexed, tauntingly making his way over to the table, a devilish smile on his lips. “Gets me everywhere. You’re the one that said an early night, means _all_ of us Iggy.” Said man went to protest but he knew it’d fall on deaf ears, so when Gladio picked him up, he stayed silent and pouted like a child the entire time. Though that didn’t last, even with Ignis’ iron will and stubbornness, he couldn’t withstand Gladio’s charm or purposefully placed kisses. 

\----------------------------

The next morning Gladio woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and a grilled-cheese sandwich, though his attention was stolen from the delightful sandwich by his half-naked boyfriend, looking too hot for his own good this early, eyes wandering from the light bruises on his hips to the hickeys dotted along his shoulders and neck. It gave Gladio a sense of pride knowing he put those there. 

“Thanks Igs. Gotta say, you wanna leave on time- you might wanna put a shirt on- or I’m hauling you back into bed for round two.” A sly smirk made its way onto his lips and Ignis cocked a suggestive smile, raising an eyebrow.

“That so? Unfortunately, it’ll be awhile until we have the time to… Fool around so to speak.” As he spoke, Ignis pulled on the crownsguard shirt he laid out last night, turning back to face Gladio. “Have you spoken to Iris? She asked me if you would stop by before we leave, to say goodbye.”

Gladio instantly grabbed his phone from the night stand, seeing the flurry of messages from Iris asking just that. “I’ll drop by after I take you to Princess’, you packed?”

His question was met with a look that simply said, ‘Do you need to ask that?’. “But of course. I even had the time to pack for you while you were asleep. The luggage is in the trunk along with Noct’s and Prompto’s. Just waiting on you now really.” Ignis pointed out, Gladio practically shovelled his breakfast down and downed his coffee, hopping out of bed to shower before Ignis went to do his hair. 

When he emerged, clean and content, his crownsguard clothes were laid out for him, necklace and chain set carefully beside them. If he can speed eat, he can speed dress, too. Within minutes Gladio was fully dressed and waiting on Ignis to finish up his hair, staring out of the window while he waited. It’d be a while before he’d see this view again.

“Ready to go?” He said as Ignis appeared in the living room, prim and proper as ever. 

“Indeed, let us be off. Noct will want to see His Majesty before we depart, since I left my car a Noct’s, I’ll take us there so you can go home.”

As planned, Gladio dropped Ignis off at Noct’s and drove off home in time to catch Iris. The Adviser had the pleasure of literally dragging Noct out of bed while Prompto just videoed it for blackmail. Meanwhile Gladio was getting a lecture from Iris about being careful and taking care of the guys, not that he needed such a conversation to know what he had to do. Though by the time Iris was finished with him, Noct and Prompto were ready to go so, Ignis messaged him that the three of them would be at the Citadel waiting for him. Needless to say, when Gladio arrived the two younger men were impatient and Ignis was roped into idle conversation with his uncle, looking thankful for the timely rescue that was the Shield arrival.

The next time the four of them walk down these steps, it'll be the last for a long while. Altissia was not a short journey given it appeared so in theory, and it's likely the newlyweds will want to travel or stay for a time before returning to Lucis. In a way, it made Gladio sad to think about it, his charge growing up so fast and getting married, the four of them won't have enough time for the usual shenanigans after, and even less so when Noct becomes King.

With that in mind, he looked to Ignis and tried to imagine a way they could sustain their relationship, with the extra duties and less personal time... It would be difficult and strained. Various thought ran rampant through his mind then, many scenarios played out in the years to come and not many seemed to be a happy ending. The thought of proposing even flitted across his mind for a second, thinking it absurd but then realising it may not be such a bad idea, but certainly not now. Four years he'd been with Ignis, and it's the happiest he's been, hopefully the Adviser can agree- He certainly smiles more than before. Upon recalling times they'd just talk, the moments of pillow talks, hell even the rare drunk talks; Each time the matter was brought up, Ignis never once discarded the notion as preposterous but merely as a joke. 

So maybe it wasn't a total dream after all, there would be a time for all that though and unfortunately the time isn't now. The matter at hand now is making sure Noct gets safely to Altissia and to Lunafreya. It then dawned on him that one day a choice may have to be made, between his love and his charge, decorum demands that not even a moments hesitation is permitted in a situation like that, but Ignis knows and respects that. Were he dying he'd probably still ask Gladio to protect Noctis, being the Shield of the King is a taxing position, it could one day mean his life. But even so, he's willing to dedicate his life to Noctis and Ignis, Prompto, too. 

Deep in his own thoughts Gladio didn't realise he was running on autopilot, as he often did at professional events or social gatherings, unless he had company. Namely Noct or Ignis, since Prompto was allowed to many events despite Noct's pleading. 

"Gladio...? Are you alright?" A concerned voice asked. Gladio snapped out of his deep thinking and was met with a worried Ignis. 

"Yeah, you were fully spaced out in the hall, you good big guy?" Prompto chimed in, equally concerned by the looks of it. Noct just looked indifferent and moody. 

"All good here, just thinking is all. We off already, eh?" Ignis didn't look entirely convinced but let it slide either way. 

Here begins the journey, in the Regalia- Or the King's trusty steed as they often called her- to Galdin Quay. 

Had they not run into car trouble a little ways outside the Wall. One could only hope this wasn't an omen, the God's way of telling them not to go.


	2. Chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In-game text was used for the first part, since it's going on the games storyline, events and stuff but there stuff clearly made up at the end. 
> 
> I think Gladio's secretly a huge softie that worries too much, so he and Iggy have proper heart-to-heart's when Noct and Prom go to bed, not this this of course but y'know.

“I think we can forget about hitching our way there…” Gladio grumbled, resorting to leaning against the car door, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Thought people were friendly outside the city.”

“You can only go so far on the kindness of strangers.” Ignis spoke plainly, letting out a sigh as he stared at the road ahead, ever so slightly grateful to be sat in the car rather than pushing it.

The Shield rolled his shoulders, prepared to continue. “Just gonna have to push her all the way.”

“I’ve already pushed myself… To the brink of death.” Prompto piped up, laid behind the car like the drama queen he was quickly becoming under Noct’s tutelage. Thought perhaps it wasn’t entirely theatrical, they had been pushing the car for some time and he was fairly scrawny compared to say Gladio. 

“Oh, get up.” Said Gladio, patting Noct on the back and nudging Prompto’s foot with his own. When neither of them made to move he kicked Prompto lightly, “C’mon, car isn’t gonna move itself.” 

Moaning and groaning, both Noct and Prompto begrudgingly got to their feet and split to their respective sides, Gladio at the rear of the car. “Sheesh, I thought the car was supposed to move us.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Can it. Ready… Steady…” Another groan from Prompto as he and Noct secured a good grip on the car. “Push!” And yet another, seemingly the only way the younger men could express their discomfort and frustration. Pushing their heavy, broken down car with the sun bearing down on them was certainly a good start to their journey. 

After not even five minutes Noct decided to pipe up and restart the complaints. “Un. Believable.”

“Not exactly a fairy tale beginning, huh, Prince Noctis?” Gladio chimed in sarcastically, Noct rolling his eyes at the comment and soldiered on. 

“We let ourselves get carried away.” Was Ignis’ only addition to the conversation, his only job at the moment being to make sure the car keeps going straight. Meanwhile the rest of them slaved away. 

“Look, these things happen!” Prompto said, cheery as ever given the situation. 

“Let’s just hope this isn’t some omen.”

“Gladio, do me a favour.-”

“What?”

“-Push this thing by yourself!” Noct said breathlessly, as if there weren’t 2 other people pushing as well. 

“All by myself?”

“You won’t even notice if we just let go.” Prompto teased. 

“Prompto, don’t even think about it.” The threat imminent in the Shield’s voice, so much so Prompto didn’t dare even mess around and pretend to let go. 

“Save some breath for pushing.”

“Ignis, c’mon- time to switch!”

“Uh-uh! We just switched back there!”

“And it’s my turn, Noct.” The livewire stated, Noct shooting him a sidelong glare. 

“His ‘turn’.” Ignis agreed, a slight undertone of amusement, to the dismay of Noct, who now wore a permanent scowl. The last few complaints consisted of Prompto complaining his hands hurt and then Gladio threatening to kill him barehanded. And that was when Ignis turned on his mp3, borrowing Noct's speaker.

\-------------------------------

_A few hours later_

In time the four of them made it to Hammerhead, home of the Hammerhead garage and Takka’s pitstop. And a shabby caravan, one the four of them would likely spend the night in if repairs took too long. Out of breath, aching and sweating, grateful for a real chance to sit down. At least Gladio, Prompto and Noct were, Ignis was sat 'steering' most of the way. Contrary to their rocky start, Hammerhead seemed quite lively and quaint, given that Gladio spotted one of the drivers that made an unwelcome remark earlier on, ending in Ignis dragging him back to the car while reciting a lecture. To the sheer amusement of Noct and Prompto. 

Until a cheery looking woman made her way over, from the looks of things she was a mechanic. Or a rather dedicated… Actor. However, the former was the most likely scenario, judging by the attire and the way her eyes lit up at seeing the Regalia, broken down or no. 

“Hey there! Y’all kept a girl waitin’.” She said, Gladio noticed Prompto looking speechless and lovesick already, wide eyed and slack jawed. “Now, which one’s the prince?” On cue Noct rose gingerly from behind the car and the woman turned her attention to him. “Hello, Your Highness. Congrats on your wedding!”

“Not hitched, just yet…” Poor boy looked uncomfortable as can be. More so than when Ignis accidentally walked in on him stark naked, needless to say, there was a very long and awkward silence that evening. Well, for the rest of the week. 

“Lady Lunafreya’s groom-to-be, here in Hammerhead.”

“Apologies for taking so long.” Ignis chimed in, saving Noct the hardship of making some half-assed excuse or apology, as well as saving him from spontaneously combusting by the looks of things. Gladio couldn’t help but snap a picture of it for blackmail.

“You’d best save your apologies for Paw-Paw.” She giggled, inspecting the car a little while she spoke. 

“Well, that makes you…” Gladio asked, not openly questioning but suggestive enough to sound like one. 

The woman stopped her inspection and just looked at him with a smile, “Cindy- Cid’s grease-monkey granddaughter.”

“Roll ‘er in while I’m still young!” An elderly looking man wandered up to them from the garage, the four of them naturally assumed him to be Cid, as if the remark wasn’t enough of a hint. The next five minutes consisted of Cid making condescending remarks about Noct, then he basically banned them all from hanging around until the repairs were done. 

Gladio and Noct negotiated with Cindy about the cash problem since none of them had Gil- Most of them didn’t know what one was either- They had to find a way to make some quick cash. By becoming temporary hunters. No serious complaints though, it would give the four of them some needed field practise aside from each other that is. Good old fashioned hunting, unpredictable and hardwork, compared to the usual sparring where everyone knows what’s coming. Unfortunately, there’s always the fact that Noct has an egotistical streak sometimes, not as much as Gladio but enough it can be detrimental. 

“Noct!” Ignis shouted, kicking a dagger at the voretooth dragging Noctis away, Gladio finishing it off with one swift blow to it’s head, once Noct’s leg was out of the way. Prompto firing rounds at the last one to distract it from the commotion, also finished by a strong sweep of Gladio’s broadsword. 

“Thanks…” Noct grumbled, his sword disappearing with a faint crackle into the armiger, the ever present scowl on his face made him look like a child being told off. 

Gladio clapped him on the back, knocking the air out of his lungs in the process. “Be more careful next time Princess. Can’t have you bein’ dragged off an’ eaten before your wedding, if they don’t kill you, Iggy will for ruining your trousers.” It was meant to be comedic but Noct was having none of it and stormed off towards the next area when his phone rang. 

It just so happened that there was someone missing, Cindy rang Noct to see if they would look for him, however she got his number. Of course, they wouldn’t say no, Prompto certainly wouldn’t anyway, neither would Ignis really. Not with Prompto being lovesick and Ignis being a gentleman. So after dispatching the voretooth’s from the areas Cindy marked out, they began searching for where this Dave fellow could be, he was apparently hiding in a shack somewhere nearby. 

“Hey Noct, what about over there?” Gladio pointed out the shack across the road… Surrounded by more creatures. 

Noct just sighed and summoned his sword, glancing at Ignis and Prompto. “Let’s get this over with, any bright ideas Ignis?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. You see that windmill? If you warp there as a distraction, the three of us can dispatch them all from behind.” With every word that left Ignis’ mouth, Noct looked less and less impressed. 

“So I gotta be the bait? Gotcha… Let’s go.”

As planned, Noct warped to the windmill and the group of voretooth were focused on trying to reach him, so Gladio swung his sword around to hit a few of them at a time, Prompto shot at their weak spots and Ignis took out a couple with his frostbound daggers. Noct decided to warp into one or two and link up with Prompto to hit them hard, simple yet effective and it earned him praise from Ignis. 

Upon finding Dave, with his sprained ankle, Noct’s mood was worsened by being told there was a larger creature for them to tackle. “Wanna call it a night, get some food and sleep before we hit it?”

“Sure, whatever- Wait- That mean we’re… Camping?” Noct’s face showed little more than sheer disappointment when Gladio smiled at him with ‘that’ smile, the one where it was certain His Majesty wouldn’t be impressed. That didn’t stop him from trying to pester Ignis into overruling but it was useless, they had no money for a pack of matches let alone a night in the caravan. 

Not far from where Dave was holed up there was a haven, thankfully protected from the daemons by the light markings. Setting up camp was mainly left to the enthusiast. Gladio took responsibility for the tent, Ignis for the stove and whatever else he needed. Leaving Noct and Prompto the joyous task of lighting the fire and setting up the chairs. 

As for dinner, Ignis didn’t have much to work with. On the way to Hammerhead they were lucky enough to come by some herbs and veg that grew in places, some ingredients were packed just in case something like this happened but nothing extraordinary. The Adviser settled for making Keycatrich salad, not that Noct appreciated it much but it’s that or go hungry for the night, Prompto on the other hand was ecstatic and wolfed it down. 

“So much for an easy trip, eh?” Gladio said, trying to lighten the mood a little. 

“Indeed, it’s certainly not ideal but nevertheless, Prompto seems less affected than the rest of us.” Ignis eyed the blonde with a small smile, the marksman instantly knew he didn’t mean it in a harsh way and grinned back. 

“Noct, lighten up buddy, we’ll get you there on time! Just think of what you gotta look forward to! Like… Seeing Lady Luna and… Altissia! And all the new food!” Prompto started going on about things Noct should and could look forward to but nothing seemed to cheer him up. Not even the prospect of limited edition video games and comics. 

Instead Noct set his plate on the table and turned to face his friends. “I’m going to bed. Gotta get enough sleep to fight that thing tomorrow. G’night.”

Gladio mumbled something that sounded like ‘Night’, Prompto and Ignis just stayed silent and watched him go. “Think I might hit the hay too s'pose and talk to him. Night guys!” The livewire said after a minute or two, putting his plate and cutlery on the table to then disappear in the tent, leaving the older two in silence. 

“What’s up with Princess?” Gladio asked, his gaze settled on his partner but unfocused. 

“I believe he’s just stressed and anxious, understandably so, everything is bound to change after this trip. I suppose we all bear the same sentiment, don’t you think?” Ignis moved to clear away the plates, taking Gladio’s as he passed. 

The Shield sighed and looked at the campfire. “Guess so. Any idea what we’re gonna do tomorrow?”

“Well, after we complete our errands and assuming the car is repaired and road worthy, we should make for Galdin Quay. It isn’t far from here. Then check when the ferry is due, you know the rest.” Ignis spared a glance over his shoulder at Gladio and frowned. “You seem troubled, is everything alright?”

Gladio was silent for a few minutes, just thinking until Ignis rejoined him, cleaning his glasses as he waited. “Be pointless to lie wouldn’t it?” He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat before continuing. “This morning I was thinking… Once Noct gets hitched, we’re all gonna be too busy to hang out, I mean we were busy before but… Well y’know. I think of how much shit you used to do without even being the King’s Adviser, you’ll have way too much on your plate. I’ll be following Noct around like a sheep twenty-four/seven. Prompto… I dunno what the kid’s gonna do but he'll be lonely and Noct well, he'll be king and married, he'll have kids some day...”

“I see. If it’s any consolation, King Regis hasn’t stepped down yet and doesn’t plan to until Noct is ready, we still have a little time for some fun and Prompto is quite good at photography, he’ll be fine.” Ignis kept his eyes on the floor, fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt sleeves and Gladio started picking at his nails. 

“It’s not just that, Igs." Gladio bit his tongue to stop himself, his insecurities and worries threatening to flood through. He was so focused on keeping speech under tabs that he hadn't realised Ignis was kneeling in front of him, he flinched instinctively when warm hands touched his cheeks. Registering Ignis had taken off his gloves took a second but Gladio closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, large hands moved to cover Ignis', thumbs stroking the backs of his hands.

"Then what is it? I've told you time and again, you can confide in me, you needn't harbour things alone, you're not at fault for wanting help or a shoulder to lean on." 

Gladio stifled a chuckle, opening his eyes to be met with the jade pair he adored, framed by the orange and yellow glow of the fire. "Keep that up 'n' you'll make me cry. Sometimes I wonder what I did to get so lucky… Y'know that?" 

This time it was Ignis that chuckled, that smile of his making Gladio's world stand still, the smile reserved for him. "It seems we're at odds with that, I feel as though I'm the lucky one. You could have anyone in Lucis and yet, you chose me. I cannot help but feel privileged."

"Can't choose who I fall in love with, but I'm glad it was you. Even if you can be a heartless hardass sometimes. Iggy, can you promise me something?" He held Ignis' hands a little tighter, watching the others expression change and then nod in agreement. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid, don't ask why I just want you to swear. And… I'm serious when I say this, one day, I'm gonna put a ring on this finger."

Gladio traced a line across Ignis' ring finger, his expression soft and voice full of truth. "I promise." The Adviser said quietly, but loud enough the other could hear it. Gingerly he leaned forward and lightly kissed Gladio's forehead, another on the tip of his nose and a last one to his lips, this one full of promise that eased the Shield's mind. 

It may seem silly to make such a promise, to think about these things so early on in the trip but there's never a wrong time to make a promise, nor a good time to think of the near future. Gladio always thought it was stupid to worry about trivial things like this in his youth but now he accepts it, knowing his worries mean he's taken time to properly think about the things that matter, even if they seem ridiculous at the time.


	3. Chapter three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what I did or why I did it (talking about the ending, you'll see) but it's not complete shit. I'm tired and my internet is being a lil bitch but here have a chapter, a rather long one... But it's the calm before the storm! If y'know what I mean.

As per usual, Noct was the last to rise the next morning, groggy but in a considerably better mood than last night. Gladio on the other hand was in a foul mood, ordinarily he would’ve woken up with Ignis in his arms or asleep beside him, that or to him making coffee but this morning… He woke up to Prompto’s snoring and Noct kicking him. At least the coffee was consistent.

“So, what’s the plan Specs?” Noct asked sleepily, taking the mug of life giving liquid extended to him, and that was saying something because Noct wasn’t overly fond of coffee. Much unlike Ignis who practically lived off of it. 

“Quite simple. We finish off this little errand of ours, pay Cid and Cindy for repairing the car and be on our way, Galdin Quay is our next destination.” Ignis said. Noct didn’t seem to take that in but he nodded anyways, confident the Adviser would make sure things run smoothly with Gladio’s help of course. From an outside perspective, one could describe the groups dynamic like an average family, two parents and two children, given the four of them were more like brothers. 

Prompto soon came tumbling out of the tent, trying to pull his boot on and falling over in a spectacular manner that had even Ignis laughing ever so slightly. “Quit it! Can we go already!?” The blonde shouted, pouting as he stalked over to his seat and accepted a plate of food quietly. 

Not ten minutes later the four of them were off to find the creature Dave was talking about, having cleared away their camping supplies, one of the many uses of the armiger. The area they were looking for was quite concealed, though not exactly what you would call a small piece of land either. 

“So what’re we after?” Noct questioned, it wasn’t as though Dave told them what they were looking for.

Prompto yelped and fled behind Gladio and Ignis, “Maybe something like that?!” After a moment of observation he peeked around Gladio. “It doesn’t look that dangerous, maybe it’s friendly?”

“Move!” The Shield shoved the others to the side, out of the way of the incoming creature, it looked as though it was charging at them. Unfortunately for ‘it’, it was no match for Gladio’s sword, at least not on it's own. With a grunt and an upwards strike from the Shield, it fell to the side heavily and kicked its legs in the air, trying to turn over onto its front. “Let’s go! Iggy- What is this?”

Ignis stood back and thought, sifting through the countless bestiaries he’d read and memorised, snapping his fingers when he remembered. “It appears to be a Bloodhorn, though it may be contaminated by something else... If we break it’s horns, we can dispose of it quickly with little risk.”

“Yeah? And how the hell are we supposed to do that?!” Noct shouted from the other side of the beast, clearly distressed already. 

“Noct- Use your broadsword- Prompto and I will move to the rear to strike, once you two break the appendages. Questions?” Ignis shot Noct a look, half expecting a snide remark or protest but he said nothing. 

“Basically, don’t fuck up Princess or we’re gonna get skewered, got it?” Gladio huffed, Noct glaring at him but changing to his broadsword all the same, Ignis and Prompto moving to opposite sides until the others distracted the Bloodhorn. Almost on cue, the beast rose to its feet, enraged and confused it charged once again only to be blocked by Gladio’s shield, taking the opportunity he and Noct attacked it’s horns. A sickening snap and they broke off, the Bloodhorn letting out a pained cry, cut short by a flurry gunshots and incoming daggers, followed by a thud as it fell to the ground, one last whimper escaped as it died.

Prompto and Ignis jogged over to regroup and sighed as the livewire looked at the slain Bloodhorn. “I felt kinda bad taking that thing down… Y’know?”

“Would you rather have been trampled or impaled?” Ignis quipped. 

“Guess not, when I die, I wanna go out with a bang!” He mimicked an explosion and Ignis just rolled his eyes with a subtle smile. Noct swung an arm over the blonde's shoulders and ruffled his hair playfully, the four of them wandering back to Hammerhead with their errands completed. Hopefully Dave took the hint and limped to civilisation, coming back out to fetch him wasn't on the agenda. 

Internally thanking the Gods, Noct and Prompto fawned over the newly repaired Regalia, without the layer of sand and dust, paired with the much needed fine tuning and service, she was certainly a sight to behold. 

"Group picture! C'mon!" Prompto handed his camera over to Cindy, yanking Noct over to the car.

"Ignis, get your ass over here, if I gotta be in it, so do you." Gladio chided, coaxing a reluctant but defeated sigh from his boyfriend, thinking the idea was ridiculous but then remembering Prompto's reasoning.

After the tell tale click of the shutter, Prompto was rushing to see how it looked, a giant grin on his face as he returned to show the others. Gladio pointed out Noct's squint with a devious grin, Ignis didn't know if he should laugh or die of embarrassment and Noct just looked at it fondly, as if it were an old memory rather than a picture from two minutes ago. Needless to say they all looked hilariously dishevelled and idiotic, but that was why it may be a precious memory for years to come.

"Hey Prince, would y'all mind making a delivery for me? It's on your way and it'll be real quick." Cindy questioned, Noct looked to Ignis for help and the latter couldn't help but roll his eyes a little.

"I believe it's the least we can do, where might the destination be?" 

"In Longwythe, there's a motel, there'll be someone ready 'n' waitin' for y'all." She answered, closing the boot of the car with a smile. "Don't be strangers, ya hear? Ever need to fix up the old girl, come on back." 

Prompto eventually got over his moment of half-consciousness, or better yet, the phase of not being completely aware of his surroundings, in which Noct thought it funny to tease the poor boy until he snapped out of it. Once that fiasco was over, they bid Cindy farewell and were on-route to Longwythe, Gladio kept teasing Prompto about his new love interest relentlessly the whole way. 

Like Cindy said, as soon as they arrived outside the motel there was someone waiting by the front desk. Noct checked his watch just as Ignis tapped him on the shoulder. “Noct, now that the Regalia is repaired, perhaps you’d take the wheel.”

Noctis snickered a little, doubting Ignis’ sincerity in letting him touch the car let alone drive it, the look on the Adviser’s face said otherwise. “Wait- You’re serious? You’re- Willingly- Letting me drive the car? Who are you, and what have you done with Ignis?” The Prince joked, appreciating the smile that rose onto Ignis’ face, a welcome change from the semi-permanent scowl. “I’ll leave the driving to you for now, I trust you more than myself- And I think Gladio would kill me if I broke the car again.”

“Very well. Let me know when you’re ready to depart.” He said, taking a seat and flicking through god knows what on his phone. 

The man that collected the delivery from the trunk came jogging back over, a letter in hand, “Excuse me, sir. There’s a letter addressed to Meldacio, the head hunter should be around here somewhere, do y’all mind making one more delivery?” Noct just nodded and took the envelope, eye’s landing on a familiar figure across the road. 

“Fancy seein’ you boys here, thanks for taking care o’ that for me, you boys woulda made fine hunters.” Dave said, looking genuinely thankful for their help. 

“No problem, we uh- Got a letter or somethin’ here for the head hunter, take it that’s you?” Noct asked apprehensively, unsure if he was making an assumption or not but Dave took the envelope with a nod. 

“Is indeed, thanks a bunch. I got one last favour to ask of you boys, if you don’t mind that is.”

“What is it?”

“‘See us hunters wear tags, way t’ remember and to identify us y’see. Well one of the hunters workin’ a job ‘round here’s gone missin’ and no-one’s seen ‘im for a while, you boys mind tracking him down and pickin’ up his tags?” Dave said as he gestured to the tag’s round his neck. 

“How come they’re so important? People forget who you are?”

“More like so no-one forgets who they were.” Gladio cut in gravely. “Hunter’s live dangerous lives, without tags they’re just another body ‘n’ people can’t give the families peace of mind.”

Noct looked to the floor, Ignis practically studying the tags around Dave’s neck with a solemn expression, Prompto hummed in thought and realisation while Gladio grimaced at the thought. “We’ll help, gotta do what we can right? Give families some peace…” Noct eventually said, Dave smiling gratefully with a nod of thanks. 

“So any ideas where to look first? Guy could be anywhere.” Prompto said quietly. The four of them sat or stood outside the Crow’s Nest. 

Automatically three of them looked at Ignis, who of which looked at each of them in turn wide-eyed, rolling his eyes with a sigh. “Honestly you’re all hopeless. First, we should gather information about the area, likely sourced from the local tipster. Then we can consult our map, marking the appropriate details and finding the last place the hunter was seen.”

Without arguments or protests, because everyone knew better than to question Ignis, Gladio went in search of the local know-it-all, Prompto and Noct simply played King's Knight- A failed attempt or two at goading Ignis to join- While said man was going through his notebook for the nth time. 

"Iggy, can I have the map?" Gladio asked from the doorway, accepting the map held towards him and returning to the tipster.

"Hey Iggy- How come you guys don't have cute pet names for each other?" Prompto questioned, a subtle smirk on his lips and even Noct had to cough to cover his chuckle.

Ignis exhaled sharply and his gaze flicked to the blonde. "Because the notion is undesired. I for one am content with my given name or the… Nicknames, you three have imposed, Gladio seems to share the sentiment. Besides that, would you really be comfortable with it? I certainly wouldn't be."

"Guess not, I can see your point." Was the only answer he received, the little twinkle in those blue eyes said this conversation wasn't over, merely postponed. 

Not a minute later did Gladio re-emerge from the diner, staring at the map with interest. "Right, I marked out where the guy was last seen, we can start there right?" He said, pointing to the map point, Ignis looked around to decipher where they were and which way they had to go before they set off, noting memorable landmarks like curiously shaped trees and rock formations. 

"Should be around here…Hey, hold up a sec, there's tracks over here, looks like he was dragged off. Put up a fight though… Any idea what it was?" Gladio said, holding an arm out to stop Noct stepping on the trail.

Ignis peered around Gladio and examined the prints, rising with an affirmative nod. "A pack of Voretooth I imagine."

"Wait- Are we really gonna follow it? I don't wanna get eaten today, thanks." Noct grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's nothing we can't handle Princess, there'll be like ten max."

Noct groaned and huffed half-heartedly, following Gladio as opposed to being left behind. He didn't have far to walk though, just behind a clump of large boulders one could hear the sounds of scuffling and low growls. 

"Tread carefully, we have the element of surprise for now." Ignis warned, mainly aimed at Gladio but he couldn't help being heavy footed due to his size. 

Heeding Ignis' words, the four of them crept closer Noct warped to the rocks on the other side to get their attention, bait once again but better prepared this time. This time however, Prompto used his Gravisphere to clump the pack together, Ignis and Noct combined their elemancy to quickly finish them off. Gladio had an easy run this time but obviously felt left out and unjustly useless. He did however find what they were looking for among scraps of clothes and an abandoned, half-eaten boot.

"Got it. Looks like our guy weren't too lucky… 'Least we got the tags." Gladio jingled them to emphasise his point and they began the journey back to Dave. 

The hunter was still in the same spot, petting his dog until he spotted the four of them, then he rose expectant and hopeful. "Boys look like you seen a ghost, but found the tags I see, poor sap didn't stand a chance hm? Damn shame, he was a good hunter, I'll hand 'em over to his missus 'n' hope it'll give her some closure."

"Glad we could help…" Noct said, the guilt apparent in his voice, even though there was little they could have done with the hunter already gone.

"Can I count on you boys to pick up any tags you come across? Be a real help."

"Of course." Ignis responded. Gladio looked as though he understood all too well how it felt to find out a loved one had died, Noct and Ignis knew his mother had passed when he was young while on a mission outside the Wall, Iris was too young to remember her.

"Thanks a lot boys, see you around, by the way, congrats on the weddin' Prince." Dave said as he waved them off, Noct blushed but nodded in thanks. 

"Well then, Noct, are you ready?" Ignis asked, glancing at Noct as they hopped in the car. 

"Ready as I'll ever be." The Prince answered with forced excitement that Ignis saw through easily but said nothing. As easily as that, they were finally off to Galdin Quay with hopes that there'd be no more hiccups to side track them.

\-------

A while later, Ignis had barely parked the car before Noct and Prompto were practically leaping out their seats to look at the view of the beach. When the car was stationary the pair of them almost literally did jump out of the car, scrambling to the fence by the arms cart. Gladio bumped his hip against Ignis', putting him off balance for a moment before he playfully punched the Shield's upper arm, sending him a quizzical look but getting no enlightenment.

Prompto was snapping pictures left, right and centre, even managing to catch the ever elusive Ignis in a few, Gladio dragging him into the shot a couple of times. Noct was quite the poser, heeding Prompto's hints and prompts for poses. Lastly another group picture in front of the restaurant. 

That was where they met a man they were unknowingly doomed to be encountering for the foreseeable future. Walking out of the restaurant, more waltzing than walking, swaying his arms carelessly. A rather flamboyant dress sense compared to what the group were used to seeing, too. A mess of reddish-violet hair, amber eyes and scruffy looking stubble; pair that with the trench coat, red scarf and pinstripe trousers; you’ve got yourself the definition of flamboyant. 

“I’m afraid you’re out of luck.” He said, an accent on par with Ignis’, though his voice deeper and ever so slightly less refined. 

“Are we?” Noct said rather defensively.

“The boats bring you here.”

“What about ‘em?” Prompto piped up, Gladio moving in from of the small man, almost shielding him from the stranger.

“Well, they’ll not take you forth.” The man said, turning to face the direction of the docks, scratching his head idly. Noct stepped forward with Gladio, Ignis staying alert but passive, merely staring at the stranger with that analytical gaze. Prompto had retreated fully behind Gladio at this point. 

“And what’s your story?” Noct asked, though it was abundantly clear he didn’t care much for the reply. 

The man turned around once again and began walking between the group. “I’m an impatient traveler, ready to turn ship. The ceasefire’s getting us nowhere.” He turned quickly and tossed something in Noct’s direction, the Prince flinched but Gladio caught the offending item. 

“What’s this? Some sort of souvenir?” 

Prompto rushed over to see, mild fascination on his face as he glanced at the coin in Gladio’s hand. “They make those?”

“What? No.” Noct hissed lowly, the blonde looking from Noct to the stranger again. Gladio didn’t shift his gaze at all, prepared for any threat that may present itself, Ignis equally ready all the while just staring in silence. 

“Consider it your allowance.”

Gladio stepped in front of Noct and Prompto, the coin still clutched in his hand as the younger two retreated slightly. “Yeah, and who’s allowing us?”

The man threw his arms open, a smile on his face but it wasn’t overly pleasant to see, it sent a chill down Ignis’ spine as he looked on. “A man of no consequence.” Was the last thing he said, his arms falling back to his sides as he turned on his heel and stalked away. 

“You believe what that guy said about the port being closed?” Prompto asked when they were certain the self-proclaimed ‘man of no consequence’ was out of earshot. 

“I’m skeptical, though I won’t discount the possibility.” Ignis chimed in, walking in the direction of the port and they all followed. 

“How ‘bout we just check it out for ourselves?” Gladio added.

Unfortunately, it appears the stranger was correct, there were no boats scheduled for arrival any time soon. Ignis stood reading the board as Noct and Prompto sat on the dock, sulking almost as they looked out on the ocean. Gladio situated himself beside Ignis, discussing something the other two couldn’t quite hear but they weren’t sure they wanted to listen, Gladio could be very inappropriate at times. 

That was when the man on the bench decided to make himself known. To the absolute dismay of at least three members of the party. 

“According to my sources, the empire, giving strict orders not to let any vessels leave the docks of Altissia. Real shame if you were later you your own wedding, right, Prince Noctis? Name’s Dino, by the way. Pleasure.” The man, now known as Dino, had a voice that made Ignis want to deafen himself, even Gladio seemed to grit his teeth and bear it. “The crown prince of Lucis, bounty hunting in his fancy car. Surely you didn’t think it’d go unnoticed- at least not by this reporter? Lucky for you, this reporter has integrity. If you wanna remain incognito, I’ll respect your wish… In exchange for a favour.”

Noct looked less than impressed, more so than Ignis and Gladio combined but at least he tried to hide it, unlike Ignis who was openly glaring. “What do you want?”

“Hey, I knew you’d come around! Lemme see you map.” Dino said, seeming very energetic considering he was openly blackmailing the Prince of Lucis. Noct just held out his hand and Ignis relinquished the map, Dino taking it and marking something. “Marked where you need to go on your map. All you gotta do is find me some rough gemstones- like this one.” He paused again and showed them what to look for, a violet coloured gemstone. “Do this, and your ship’ll come in. Don’t, and the papers’ll run you outta town. Capisce?”

Noct agreed half-heartedly and they walked back up to the restaurant, the feeling of being used wasn’t one they were accustomed to and frankly none of them appreciated it. Being blackmailed by a reporter- one none of them except Prompto seemed to like- wasn’t on anyone’s bucket list. 

\-----------------

About an hour later, they returned with a gemstone but it wasn’t worth being nearly crushed by a giant bird. The ferry wouldn’t be in until tomorrow according to Dino, Ignis was reluctant to trust the words of such a man but he had little choice, Gladio had to sweet talk him to stop him muttering curses under his breath. Prompto found it hilarious that some as uptight and professional as the Adviser would be reduced to grumbling profanities, just because he doesn’t like someone. 

That only left the choice of where to stay for the night, it was either camping or stay at the room available in the restaurant, albeit expensive but far better than being dirty and sweaty the next morning. With the choice left with Noct, of course they were staying in the room, he hated camping unless it was the only option, as in the very last resort. Despite Gladio loving- no adoring- camping, even he was happy with spending a night in a bed with a shower instead of a sleeping back and a river or lake to wash up in. Prompto and Ignis were mutually amicable with either option but it was no question which they would prefer. 

“Hey! Let’s play a game! Y’know to pass the time, it’s a bit early to go to sleep.” Prompto squeaked from his chair, perking up excitedly. “C’mon! It’ll be fun! We can play… Truth or dare! Or maybe… Never have I ever!”

Gladio peered at him from over his book and actually considered the idea, knowing it was bound to be a disaster. “Wait till Iggy’s outta the shower, he’s the mom after all, but I’m down with it.”

Noct glanced around and then turned back to his phone, tapping frantically on the screen. “Mamma Ignis has the last say, Prom. I’m up for it too though so, he’s overruled anyways, we got any drinks? It’s so much more fun when everyone’s drinking.”

“Dude. Can we even get Ignis to drink something other than Ebony?” Prompto asked, his nose screwed up as he thought about it. “Does he know you call him that by the way? ‘Cause I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’d skin you if he did.” He added jokingly. 

“If anyone can get Iggy to drink, it’s Gladio. Whaddya say big guy, up for a challenge?” 

“You’re on. Gimme five, I’ll pick up something from the bar, get me an open can of Ebony ready and act normal.” Gladio had a mischievous glint in his eye that Noct surmised would get him a run-in his Ignis’ foot by the end of the night. Even so, he found the can Ignis had been working on earlier- thankfully unfinished- and set it down near Gladio’s chair, returning to his chair to carry on the game of King’s Knight. 

Gladio returned five minutes later with a couple of bottle under his arm, the one in his hand smaller but Noct could guess it was going in to coffee. “What’s that?” 

“A little something that should blend in with the coffee, he won’t even notice.” Gladio shot the pair a grin and a thumbs up, just managing to hide the other bottles under the table when the bathroom door opened, Ignis emerging looking nervous at the unusually calm room. 

“You’re all very quiet.” He said wearily, eyeing them all with that studying gaze of his, taking a sip from the can Gladio placed on the nightstand, right where he left it originally. If he noticed an offending odor or flavour, he didn’t make it known at all, that put Gladio at temporary ease. Temporary because his boyfriend could be unpredictable when pranked, especially if said prank involves alcohol of some kind. 

Prompto shifted in his seat restlessly, eventually opting to ask his impending question. “Iggy, y’know you love us?”

“I knew there was something going on. What is it?” Ignis asked, though he looked like he was regretting coming out of the bathroom at all, looking to Gladio for help but he found none in the way the other smiled at him. 

“Can we play a game? Y’know pass the time… Lighten the mood…” The blonde trailed off and his grin widened a little when Ignis took another sip and stared at the can as though offended.

"That depends what you had in mind… I'm not totally averse to games."

Prompto hummed and put on his best thinking face, glancing at Noct for a split second. "I was thinking something like Never have I ever... Noct and Gladio are in." 

Ignis pursed his lips as he pieced things together, a little more delayed than usual but not so much it's noticeable. "I fear as though you're already playing a game-" He set down the can and pushed Gladio forward, pulling the empty bottle out from behind him with a victorious smirk. "- I'm not so opposed to fun that you need to sway my decision with alcohol, you should know most of all, Gladio." 

Gladio hunched forward and smiled apologetically at Ignis. "The kids wanted to play with drinks, you'd have said no if you didn't already have one…" Open affection as ordinarily a no-go, agreed upon by both Gladio and Ignis, but the Shield was in the mood to test the limits tonight. Boldly he twisted to wrap his arms around Ignis' waist, somehow managing to swivel back round and plant the other on his lap, awaiting the probable scolding. That never came. Instead Ignis made himself comfortable.

"Woo-hoo! Let's play! Okay- Rules! If you've done it, you gotta take a shot. Got it?" Prompto seemed to be giddy with anticipation, Noct moved his chair to settle beside him and dug out the glasses and bottles from under the table, ignoring Ignis' judgement.

"Okay! Never have I ever, kissed a girl." Prompto half-expected no-one to drink this round, but Ignis did. "Wait- What? When?!"

Gladio shared the sentiment and pinched at Ignis' sides, forcing him to twitch. "I fail to believe you of all people haven't experimented." The Adviser said, aimed at Gladio but he said nothing, merely huffing into Ignis' shoulder.

"My turn! Never have I ever… Burnt toast." Noct looked at Prompto in an instant, both Gladio and Prompto emptied their glasses this time. 

"It was one time! I was busy… Anyway! Never have I ever kissed a guy." Gladio caught himself out on that one obviously but brought Prompto and Ignis down with him, earning the blonde curious looks.

"Alright… Never have I ever lost a bet." Ignis felt victorious when the other three all had to drink to that, Gladio poking his side once again in retaliation. 

"Now it's personal! Never have I ever checked out one of my friends!" Ignis and Gladio looked at each other for a moment but it did count, the real surprise was Noct. "Dude. Really? Who?"

"None of your business. Never have I ever ogled Cindy." Noct grinned innocently at Prompto who cursed him from behind his glass. 

"Never have I ever sang the chocobo song." Gladio couldn't help but laugh heartily at Prompto's despair, he was being singled out and already feeling dizzy. 

"Hm… Never have I ever sang in the shower." Once again, Ignis triumphed when the others emptied another glass. The second bottle had been opened now and Ignis removed his glasses, setting them on the table. 

"Never ha-ve I ever… Stared at Iggy's ass." Prompto was starting to slur his words but he still grinned goofily at Gladio and Noct drinking, enjoying the utter shock on Ignis' face. 

"Don't fucking ask… Never have I ever had sex." It answered Prompto's earlier question at least, bring the demise of Ignis and Gladio with it, but Noct knew that when he said it.

"Never have I ever thought about having sex." Gladio seemed to enjoy taking others down with him, in this case everyone. Prompto ended up falling back into his chair, snoring loudly, Noct not looking far behind him. This game was turning odd and unnecessary.

"Never have I ever felt the need to go to bed now." Ignis was clearly hinting that it was bedtime and Noct complied, after a drink, standing up and falling face first onto the bed. 

"That went as expected, if not a little better, Prom didn't last long enough to ask the weird shit." Gladio said with a dopey grin, the alcohol was getting to his head but it wasn't bad really. It seemed like Ignis had enough to let go a little, turning himself around to straddle Gladio's hips. 

"I'm actually quite surprised you haven't kissed a woman, do tell." Ignis murmured close to his ear, resting his head on the broad shoulder.

"I knew I weren't straight from the moment I saw you and I know now, the straightest thing about you is your splits, like seriously." Gladio hushed his voice to a low whisper, now that Ignis was close enough. 

The Adviser sat up and looked Gladio in the eye, green eyes darkened a little and cheeks pink, the Shield couldn't help but appreciate the man in his lap, dishevelled hair and all. "Once upon a time, I was unsure where my preferences lie, now it's all to obvious."

Gladio himself didn't look much better than the hot mess that was Ignis, but he was always a rugged mess as opposed to the latter. Get you a guy that can do both, eh? 

"I propose, we call it a night, or else I'm in the mood to make all the wrong choices." Ignis whispered, unintentionally making Gladio's mind wander like his hands wanted to. "I know what you're thinking, Gladio. Come now, there'll be time for that another day."

With a defeated groan, Gladio saw fit to carry Ignis to bed, the other clung to him like a koala anyways. "Least I get to sleep next to you tonight, I can't hung dumb and dumber, plus Noct kicks me in his sleep."

Ignis let out a content sigh, nuzzling into Gladio as he started to drift off, for once rather easily. "Iggy?" The Shield whispered, running his fingers through sandy locks and Ignis hummed in question. "I love you." In response, the smaller man kissed Gladio's stubble ridden neck lightly, making his way up to peck his lips affectionately. 


	4. Chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to tone down the fluff and feels but I dunno how well that went. Anyways, thanks for the kudos and comments! It really motivates me to carry on writing! Hope this chapter is okay, excuse any mistakes 'cause I don't have a beta and I can't really see at the minute hehe, I need to find my glasses...

By the time Gladio woke up Ignis was nowhere to be seen but he could hear the shower running, Prompto and Noct still very much asleep and likely to be for some time, he grabbed his phone off the nightstand and groaned when he read the time. It was only 6:17, earlier than he usually got up for sure, though it appeared Ignis hadn’t been up long either, the spot he slept in was still quite warm. That being said, Gladio was very reluctant to move because it was so warm, he grabbed the pillow Ignis had used and hugged it to his chest, just staring at the ceiling in thought. 

“Ah, you’re awake, my apologies if I woke you up.” Gladio glanced over at the bathroom, Ignis stood in the doorway looking far too awake this early, with his hair done and fully dressed just made Gladio feel lazy. 

“Nah, started gettin’ colder without you, plus Prince Charmless’ snoring woke me up.” He said, nodding at Noct, currently sprawled out in the other bed. 

Ignis threw his towel in the bag of laundry, picking up his phone and glasses from the nightstand. “I’m going to see about the ferry and perhaps pick up a paper, do you need anything?”

“How can you be this productive this early? Like- I don’t even wanna get outta bed yet- But you’re always up this early… Do you actually sleep or are you a vampire?” Gladio asked, masking his sarcasm with seriousness, he meant it as a joke though. “I’m kidding, Igs, I’ll make sure the kids are up so text me when you’re on your way back, yeah?”

“But of course. I strongly advise making Prompto shower though…” Ignis retorted, eyeing the sleeping blonde fondly but haphazardly, likely referring to the amount of dirt that accumulated on the young man somehow. 

Once Ignis was gone and Gladio was left to his own devices, his thoughts became festered with ‘what ifs’. So he opted for remembering last night and although things could have been worse, so much worse if Prompto wasn’t a lightweight, the soft look on Ignis’ face combined with the alcohol induced blush and composed yet needy mood, made for fond memories. Even if they also lead to… Interesting thoughts, not unwelcome but definitely not appropriate right now. 

Rather than lay around forever, Gladio decided to hop in the shower while Noct and Prompto were still asleep. Hopefully by the time he was done they’d be awake but it was wishful thinking, Prompto maybe but the Prince of Naps was another ordeal entirely, if Ignis- Sometimes literally, more often than not- Dragging the man out of bed was anything to adhere to. 

Gladio jumped when frantic knocking came at the door, instinctively putting his fists up but it was just that, reminding himself there was no cause for alarm because Ignis locked the door behind him. “Gladio! Hurry up I need to pee!” Came Prompto’s whining from the other side, a thud meant he must’ve headbutted the door. 

“Gimme a sec! I’m sure you can hold it! Hey- Wake Noct up for me!” The Shield shouted back, hearing receding footsteps and then a startled scream from Noct. Better Prompto than Gladio, Noct gets real sassy if anyone but Ignis or Prompto wakes him up. 

Clean, showered, dressed and fully awake, Gladio exited the bathroom and within seconds Prompto darted in. Noct looking pissed off to say the least but half-awake, which was a good sign in the long run. He sat up and rubbed his eyes groggily, Prompto returned from the bathroom as Noct actually stood up and stood by the window, the pair of them looked ready to fall back asleep. It took the Prince a moment to realise Ignis wasn’t there, after doing a brief scan of the room. 

“Where’s Specs?” He asked, wandering to the window mindlessly, as though he’d find the answer outside. 

“Should be back any minute now.” Gladio replied. His phone had gone off a few moments ago, a message from Ignis saying as such. At that, Prompto plopped into one of the chairs and started a King’s Knight game, both Gladio and Noct just looked out to the ocean, half-hopeful any news would be good. 

But it was quite the opposite if Ignis’ face was anything to go by when he returned, paper in hand and a grim expression, mixed between indifference, sadness and frustration, maybe. Gladio was the first to go over but Ignis’ attention was focused solely on Noct. 

“What’s that look for?” Noctis asked, wondering if he actually wanted to know once he said it. Rather than grace him with an answer, Ignis turned to face Gladio who reached for the paper.

“It’s in all the papers.” Ignis voice sounded just as solemn as his face looked, a horrible sinking sensation started in Noct’s stomach. 

“What is?”

Prompto started reading the paper over Gladio’s arm, sheer disbelief on his face. “Insomnia, falls?”

Noct couldn’t even contain his gasp, horror stricken and shocked at the same time but the same sense of disbelief ran through him, it couldn’t possibly be true, or so he thought. “Wha? This your idea of a joke?”

“I need you to calm down so I can explain.” Ignis said, sounding as level-headed as he could, a futile attempt at breaking the tension that was making itself known. Noct, hardly able to contain his emotions at this point, stomped over to his Adviser, looking at him accusingly even though he knew there was no way Ignis would pull a prank like this. 

“I’m as calm as I’m gonna get!” He exclaimed, the anger finally breaching the barrier that was his speech filter, Noct didn’t tend to sound angry unless he meant it. Or unless it was too overwhelming, currently for instance. 

Ignis sighed and tried avoiding Noct’s gaze, “There was an attack. The imperial army has taken the Crown City.” 

“‘As treaty room temper flared, blasts lit the night sky. When the smoke about the Citadel had cleared, the king was found… Dead.’” Gladio cut in, quoting to article and Noct rushed to see it for himself, face contorted somewhere between ‘about to cry’ and ‘about to scream’. Prompto stood frozen as the others conversed, Ignis shook his head as though trying to rid himself of the news, the damage had already been done however, to all of them, there were implications. 

“No, wait, hold on…” 

“We had no way of knowing…” Ignis started, moving away a little before Noct’s barrage of questions.

“What? Knowing what?” He pleaded, eyes glazed and tears threatening to fall, though he managed to contain them, keeping himself together as he waited for the inevitable reply. 

“That the signing was last night, that Insomnia…” Ignis started again, actively avoiding all eye contact with any of them, Noct cutting in to his explanation.

“But that wedding! Altissia!” Noct’s voice had started to rise unintentionally, Ignis turning to look at him directly. 

“I know, that was the plan. Yet the reports of the invasion are all the same. How could every headline in the kingdom be wrong?”

“Lies…” That was all Noct could say right now, to try and convince himself it wasn’t true, that this was just a nightmare. That he would wake up back in Insomnia,in his apartment, Ignis in the kitchen as usual before school, Prompto calling him to find out what the after-school plans were, Gladio threatening to deck him if he skipped training again.

Prompto picked at the already fraying seams of his gloves anxiously, “If only.” Was all he said. 

Gladio- Who had been reading the paper- growled and looked to Ignis. “What else do we know?” As if the man had all the answers in the world, but even the ever informative Ignis was stuck, a simple shake of his head in reply. “Then we can’t be sure until we see it with our own eyes.”

The younger blonde turned around then. “And that means we go back to Insomnia.” He said, something they were all thinking but unwilling to say.

“Might not be safe for us there.” Ignis chimed in. 

“Might not be safe for us here.”

Gladio hummed and looked to Noct for a moment, now sitting in a chair staring at the floor blankly. “Turn back?”

There was a minute of silence while Noct thought about it, taking all the safety considerations and throwing them out the window. “Yeah.”

It took awhile for them to actually set out again, packing in complete silence and even driving to the bridge in silence until Noct asked what they were going to do about the blockade. It seemed as though Ignis knew where to go, somewhere apparently safer for them to view the city from, even if it wasn’t inside but the blockade was manned by imperials. Better not worsen the day by getting themselves caught, it was doubtful that the Crown Prince and his retinue would go unnoticed. 

Along the way to the hill there were imperial MT’s on guard, though thankfully one of the four was clear minded enough to suggest a stealthy approach, taking them all out at the same time might be quicker but it would also cause a stir. The last thing any of them wanted was to be surrounded by the enemy.

It took a little longer than ideal but they were safely at the top of the hill, overlooking Insomnia and it was then no-one dared speak, all accept the radio on Prompto’s phone however. Smoke was still billowing from various places in the city, buildings collapsed and entire areas just demolished. It wasn’t a great view from the hill but they could see something, of course the four of them wished it were just fake news but now they could actually see it, it was surprising that none of them crumbled then and there. Most of all Noct, who had lost his father, his kingdom and apparently his life according to the radio. 

Noct gritted his teeth as it was announced that he and Luna had perished alongside the King. Not caring the rain was seeping through his clothes, not giving the oncoming shivers the time of day, the only thing on his mind was how much of a betrayal it had been. Not just the fact Regis hadn’t told him about the signing, but that he didn’t disclosed that Luna was in Insomnia, too. 

Prompto went to turn the radio off but Gladio startled him when he shouted, “Keep it on!” The poor boy fumbled with his phone and ended up dropping it.

“Don’t bother!” Noct shouted and Prompto froze like a deer in headlights. Ignis kneeled down to pick up the briefly forgotten device, handing it back to the blonde while keeping his eyes on his own screen, hoping for anything to give them further clarity or some sort of reprieve. Gladio was staring at his phone, likely awaiting news of his family, on the contrary to Prompto and Ignis. 

Just then Noct’s phone rang, apparently the Marshal, his nickname had never been so appropriate, Cor the Immortal. Ignis had heard many names for the man, including but not limited to; Cor the Hardass and Cor the Emotionless, amusing at the time unless said man caught you saying one. Gladio was a victim more often than not, being forced to do additional laps or reps depending on Cor’s mood that day. In fact, Ignis could only recall seeing a glimpse of a smile once, that was when he’d kicked a dagger into Gladio’s leg by accident one day, the Marshal found it slightly amusing where Ignis and Gladio did not.

“What did the Marshal have to say?” Ignis enquired, noticing how Noct’s attitude and body language changed subtly, from pacing angrily to staring out at the city in anguish, distraught may be a better word for it. 

“Said he’d be in Hammerhead.”

Gladio clenched his fist as he put down his phone, clearly frustrated, but calming himself before facing Noct. “And the King?” He asked apprehensively. When Noct didn’t reply, the three of them knew what it meant, the news was true and if the King was dead then… It implied his Shield was, too. No good and honourable Shield would abandon his King, even if ordered to, Clarus was one such man and Gladio knew that, so he also knew his father didn’t make it. 

His only hope now was to try and find out if there were any refugees, and if so, where they were headed, so he could find Iris. She- Aside from Ignis, Noct and Prompto- Was all he had left. On the other hand, Prompto wasn’t close with his foster parents, he’d never mentioned them in passing on deliberately, but he too would mourn for them. After all, they did take him in and give him a home, perhaps not the best upbringing since they were mostly absent but they were still his family, as much as the others were his friends. Ignis, Noct and Gladio were aware that the Adviser wasn’t at all close with his uncle, even so, it had to have hurt to lose him. 

The road to Hammerhead seemed longer than it really was, the deafening silence was beginning to bear down on the group, there were things that needed to be discussed but no-one was willing to start the conversation. It was only a matter of time before someone cracked, likely Noct or Prompto, for all their virtues and talents, they weren’t adept at keeping their feelings under tabs. 

Arriving at the garage wasn’t much better, even Cindy’s lightheartedness was dampened a little, she tried to keep her smiles up but seeing the boys look so depressed wasn’t helping at all. Cid offered a little insight into the inner workings of the King’s mind, the boys being aware that he’d accompanied Regis on his own travels of Lucis. 

“Crystal and the King’s ring- What they been after all along…” The old man said knowingly, toying with the wrench in his hand. 

“So all talk of peace was merely a pretext.”

Noct refused to look up from the floor, just thinking and holding the pieces of himself together. “They played my father for a fool.”

“Don’t kid yourself. Reggie wasn’t born yesterday. Lucis got dealt a losin’ hand, and your old man played it the best he could. He saw this comin’ a mile away, and he wasn’t gonna go down without a fight.” Cid’s words seemed to spark something in Noct, he looked up half-surprised at what he was hearing. “In the end, though… Well, it just wasn’t enough. You need something else. You talk to Cor.” He said, placing the wrench on the stack of papers, appearing as though he too couldn’t believe the news. “I can’t even remember the last time I saw Reggie. Feels like a lifetime ago.”

Cid stood up and glanced at them all in turn, hobbling out with a hand on his lower back. Noct turned his gaze to the picture beside the papers, one of his fathers own retinue, like Noct he had three friends with him. Clarus, Cor and Cid. Noct had Gladio, Ignis and Prompto. There were startling resemblances between father and son sometimes, Ignis could see it, Gladio could see it and Cor could see it. So could Cid, given he seemed to be hard on the prince, he meant well by it. 

“So… What do we do now?” Prompto said quietly, unsure if now is the time to ask.

Noct remained silent, as did Gladio but Ignis seemed able and willing to move forward. “We should rendezvous with the Marshal. Once everyone is willing to continue.”

“What’s the point? The entire reason we were going to Altissia is for me to marry Luna, as part of the goddamned treaty!” Noct pointed out rather forcefully. Ignis pursed his lips and sighed in defeat, Gladio spared him a sympathetic glance but said nothing. 

“Noct. The best thing we can do is move forward. If the Marshal cannot sway you then so be it, we will discontinue on your word but as it stands there is more at stake than you realise.” Ignis adjusted his glasses and crossed his arms, waiting for the inevitable burst from Noct but instead Gladio stood up beside him.

“I’m with Iggy. Cor might be able to tell us what to do next, we can’t just stand around feeling sorry for ourselves.” He growled, a tad more aggressively than necessary.

“‘Course you would side with Ignis.” Noct seemed to be provoking Gladio, unintentionally or not, it wasn’t wise nor what any of them needed. 

“The fuck is that supposed to mean? ‘Cause he’s right? Yeah, I did side with Ignis, ‘cause he’s the only one thinking about what we’re gonna do-”

“You always side with him! Has it ever occurred to you, you side with Ignis ‘cause he’s your boyfriend?”

“Enough! Both of you, before this gets out of hand. Now, clearly, the situation is not ideal at all and this may sound insensitive as it stands, but you have to accept there are to be more consequences if we stand around bickering like children.” Ignis snapped. Prompto bit his lip in an attempt to stifle his cries, not only had they lost their home but his friends were at each other’s throats. 

Noct groaned and scratched the back of his neck, pacing a little in thought. “Let’s just- Go find Cor and… Figure it out from there.” He reasoned, sparing no thought to an apology. That being said, they all piled into the car and Ignis drove to the next destination, apparently Cor moved on from Hammerhead pretty quickly. Fortunately they made it to the outpost with no problems, opting to rest before asking Monica a few questions, it was her idea to rest up anyways, something about Cor having a big job for them to do.

While Prompto and Noct were talking at one end of the caravan, Gladio and Ignis sat outside in silence, it wasn’t entirely uncomfortable but there was definitely some things that needed discussing. Certainly seemed the younger two were in deep conversation about something or other.

“Igs, you look like you wanna say something, what’s up?” Gladio mumbled, cautious in case one of the others could hear him, it was unlikely but better safe than sorry. 

Ignis sat there quietly, picking at a thread on his jeans. “I just wanted to ask how you’re doing, in light of recent events… I won’t pry if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’m just worried. Today a lot of things were put into perspective for me. Things could go to shit anytime, I could lose anyone and… I dunno if I can handle much more of it. If I lose Iris or you… I dunno what I’m gonna do. I lose Noct, I failed my duty. Iggy… I’m scared.” Confessing that seemed to relieve the Shield a little, but there was more he was unwilling to say. 

“I… Cannot say I fully understand. However, if there’s anything I can do to help ease your burdens, you know you can ask anything of me.” Ignis was at a loss for once, unsure of what he could do to console Gladio, aside from keep himself together for the rest of them to lean on. “Perhaps, it’s wise we all have an early night. I don’t mean to act as though I’m oblivious or uncaring of your plight but… I loathe to admit I’m at a loss on what to do.”

“Iggy, I’m grateful you try, honestly and I love you for it. Guess you’re right though. We’ll make it through somehow, the pain ain’t gonna go away but it’ll get easier, if I find Iris I’ll feel a lot better. Noct just needs some time to calm down.” Gladio rose and patted Ignis on the shoulder, ruffling his hair enough to mess it up tremendously, smirking as he went inside. “C’mon, we can share the couch, dumb and dumber can have the bed.”


	5. Chapter five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, from Ch. 6 onwards I'm gonna try focusing on the Gladnis aspect, since thats what the series is about, not recounting the game with a ship thrown in, so there'll be some canon divergance but I'll still briefly go over canon events and encounters etc.
> 
> Kudos and comments have been/are appreciated so thank you!
> 
> P.S: I've already figured out the end of the series and if I write it well enough, you're gonna hate me ;)

As it happens, the ‘big job’ Cor had in mind for the boys was little above graverobbing, in a manner of speaking. Snarky comments about renaming Cor to ‘Cor the Restless’ came into play while out searching for the ever elusive man. Well, he always seems to pop up when you’ve done something wrong or if you forgot something, therefore Prompto and Gladio often got jump scares out of the blue. Noct had Ignis for that, frequently shrieking like a girl when he had the pleasure of a surprise visit. 

No-one spoke about the events of yesterday, not even in passing thought or to clear the garuda in the room- Car even- so all in all, the day was starting as foul as the last. Hopes that Cor could shed some light on the issue and give them all some sort of closure… Were starting to seem like unrealistic dreams already. 

Gladio had been worry-stricken trying to call Iris all morning, Noct barely said a word to anyone, Prompto looked ready to burst out into tears at any given moment and Ignis, ever the composed one, remained exactly that. As calm and collected as the situation allowed. As it were, Cor asked them to meet him at the Tomb of the Wise. Of course, Noct asked Ignis in a flurry of short questions amounting to one; Why? To which the Adviser had an idea but was unwilling to share it, it was possible he was wrong and it could just stir the emotional pot that was Noctis. 

“Huh, tomb fit for royalty, dontcha think?” Prompto eventually piped up, his eyes widening at the tomb in all its glory, anticipating a rude comment or two but instead Gladio patted his shoulder. 

“Could say that, let’s just find the Marshal and get outta here. This place gives me the creeps.” Gladio said, just out of earshot of Noct, thankfully, lest it be his head for a harmless statement. 

The door was ajar when they arrived, Noct poking his head round and relaxing when Cor came into view. “At last, Your Highness.” He said, looking about restless and as chipper as the rest of them, unfortunately it could be due to finding out his closest friends are no more, he may have suffered a little less than Noct but it was still unfair in every sense of the word. 

“Wanna tell me what I’m here for?” Noct replied with as much emotion as a brick. In fact, that’d be an insult to the brick. No-one dared comment on it though, Cor sighed ever so slightly as he looked at the shattered Prince. 

Wearily, Cor stood on the other side of the stone monument, a hand hovering over the weapon in the hands of the stone King. “The power of Kings, passed from the old to the new, through the bonding of souls. One such soul lies before you. To claim for forebears’ power is both your birthright and duty as King.”

On the other side of the monument, the Noct seemed to resent everything and everyone, not intentionally mind you. His companions remained silent at his side and just marvelled at the truth in the legends they’d been told as children, perhaps many things from bedtime stories were real, encountering them may be dangerous but enticing all the same, after all, magic was truely something to behold. 

Noct grunted as he muttered, “My duty as King of what?” Which had both Ignis and Gladio turning to glance at him in what could be described as offence, under that though, through the initial hurt and anger, lied the heartbreak. 

Cor, ever the expressional, looked unfazed, perhaps a little irritated. “Now is not the time to question your calling. A King is sworn to protect his people.”

His words seemed to have an adverse affect on the Prince- Now turned King apparently. “And yet…. He chose to protect only one Prince. Was that his calling? Forsake the masses to protect his son?” On the outside, Noct appeared to be indifferent, but on the inside he was screaming. 

“How long will you remain the protected? The King entrusted the role of protector to you.”

“‘Entrusted’ it to me? Really? Then why didn’t he tell me that? Why did he just smile as I left? Why goddamn it!?” Noct leaned forward, hands on the side of the statue, head hanging as he tried to keep his sobs at bay. Prompto had to turn away but the other two shared their charges feelings, at least to an extent, they too hung their heads in acknowledgement. Understanding now, why the King did as he did.

“That day, he didn’t want to be the King, he wanted to be your father in the time you had left, and for you to remember him as just that. His faith in you never once wavered, he knew that when the time came you would ascend, for the sake of your people.” Cor spoke in a voice Ignis and Gladio knew all too well, the voice of reason. 

Noct stood straight and his gaze settled on the weapon before him. “Guess he left me no choice, huh?” As if by instinct alone, he hovered his hand over the sword and it flashed brightly, much like their weapons from the armiger. It physically disappeared and only remained in an astral-like form, moving forth to strike Noct at his core, shattering in the same crystal-like fashion as his normal arsenal. Only this time, the sword broke out and circled around its wielder, to disappear for good once more in another flash, Noct knew what it was. Ignis had studied such things, Cor had seen them firsthand and Gladio had heard stories, Prompto the poor dear was clueless but still absolutely amazed. 

“The power of Kings goes with you, Majesty. But, keep in mind there’s more tombs scattered across the land, your journey has just begun, there’s another royal tomb nearby, I’ll accompany you for now. It’ll give me an opportunity to measure your strength, too.” Cor said as he started marching out of the tomb, the boys jogging to catch up and follow.

True to his word, the place Cor was taking them literally down the road. Albeit with a few Sabertooth, imperial’s, and a Coeurl to dispatch, but that aside there were no hiccups and the Marshal seemed to be content with Noct’s progress. After a brief history lesson on the area, one that Ignis had probably told Noct at some point or other, Cor decided to take his leave before entering the tunnel. Although his help might have been desired, it was obvious he was leaving for more pressing matter and he was satisfied with the group’s dynamics, if their combat prowess was abysmal it’s doubtful they’d have survived this long, Prince and retinue or not. 

“Alright. I’ve got more pressing things to do, recon on the Nif’s namely. If you need anything, call Monica but from what I’ve seen, you’ll do fine on your own. Here-” Cor said as he tossed a small object to Noct, upon closer inspection to be a key. “Should open all the royal tombs. Take care, Your Majesty.”

Noct waved after him and peered down the tunnel, backing up for a moment. “Alright, that looks long, dark and ominous. We’re gonna die down there…”

“Yes, well, no time like the present. The sooner we find the tomb, the sooner we can return to daylight.” Ignis said blunty, rolling his eyes as he practically dragged Noct down the tunnel, Gladio towing Prompto behind him. The LED lights they were given were actually a god send as of now, of course they were useful during the night but down here they were lifesaving, plus there were a great deal of closed doors to walk into or holes to fall in. 

“What was that?!” Prompto exclaimed, jumping onto Ignis like a frightened cat. To which the latter pried him off with a grimace.

“My bad, kicked a can.” Gladio admitted, kicking said can again to prove it. Prompto exhaled loudly and sighed at the revelation, as well as the fact they weren’t going to be murdered in the deep tunnels. 

“You’re killing me guy! There could be an axe murder down here! Wait- Does anyone know what this place actually was?”

“Prompto. I will kill you if you do not stop shouting. Now pipe down and stay sharp.” Ignis hissed, glaring at the young blonde and Noct only scoffed at the scolding. “That goes for you two as well. Now if you don’t mind, shall we carry on?”

Gladio was half-tempted to push Ignis’ buttons but decided he liked living, without a handicap or some horrible punishment. Noct knew better than to push the Adviser, often he rang true to his word and the Prince’s punishment would be nothing but vegetables for meals for a month. Prompto was just generally scared of Ignis, despite being an utter fanboy at times, for reasons unknown to anyone but himself. 

“You heard the man, let’s go kids.” Gladio ushered the younger boys onward, internally chuckling at the prospect of Ignis blowing a casket and chasing Prompto or Noct around the tunnels. He’d known the adviser for many years and yet, he’d not witnessed a melt down, though it was likely all of them would snap at some point on this trip, including the mother hen. 

So down they went, further and further until the tunnel seemed to level out but into a labyrinth of sorts, not overly complex but the unknown made for slow progress. There could be daemons or fiends lurking around every corner or hidden in every shadow, neither desirable encounters. On the bright side, if one could call it that, the mood seems to have lightened ever so slightly. There was a chance things may begin to straighten out, though much like the tunnels, they could diverge and lead to… Dead ends. Both figuratively and literally. 

In the end, despite being filthy and exhausted, they found the next tomb. A few encounters with goblins and arachne along the way but what could they expect from a dark, dingy system of out-of-commission tunnels, it was perfect for daemons to hide from the sunlight. 

Upon exiting the underground maze, the light was momentarily blinding, but with the accomplishment of Noct gaining not one but two royal arms for the day, the overall mood improved significantly. Noct even started looking less glum and more lively, throwing out the occasional roast here and there, too, much to the dismay of Prompto- Being the usual target for such things. 

“So! We campin’ tonight?” Gladio asked, an obvious hint of hope in his voice. 

“It’s… Up to Noct.” Ignis replied, nodding towards Noct. 

The Prince turned around at the sound of his name, startled for a moment but a sly girn adorned his face not a second later. “I don’t feel like camping, wanna find a motel?” Fully aware Gladio wanted to camp- Because who wouldn’t want to do something they enjoyed?- Noct seemed to want to torture the poor Shield. 

“Now, Noct. We should consult our funds before making a decision. Camping means there’s no check-out time however.” Ignis pointed out, Noct and Gladio stopping their current staring contest, well, glaring contest. 

Prompto gasped loudly and the other three jumped, since it sounded as though he'd had spotted an enemy, though wide eyes quickly turned into passive glares. The younger blonde was simply amazed by the sunset, scrambling up the rocks to get a photograph. The warm orange hues slowly turning into purples and deep blues, a reminder that they need to find camp fast, but an eye opener into how long they were underground.

"Prompto! C'mon we gotta go!" Noct shouted up to him, thankful his words reached the blonde lest he have to warp up there and drag him down. 

Prompto made to clamber back down, only turning to reply, "Be there in a jiffy!" As he half-fell, half-climbed down the rocky surface, tripping over dismembered MT's along the way back.

Of course once reunited, the four of them began the short trek back to the outpost, since it was the closest, well-lit area for miles. Short though it may be, it was also dusty and one could fall over a stray rock or MT appendage, not to mention the impending danger of daemons in a short while. On the way back, Ignis started considering dinner options, since they had barely eaten today, something hearty and filling should do the trick, but given the sorry state of their ingredient supply, the task may be easier said than done. 

Monica was kind enough to let the Adviser raid the cupboards in the outpost kitchen, though there wasn't much selection, he was resourceful and found a few things to make into a simple stew, inviting her and Dustin to join them but she politely declined, something about needing to head off elsewhere.

Gladio later found Ignis muttering something to himself making dinner, deciding it best to leave him alone in that state, opting to check up on the Princess and the Pauper instead.

"Hey, so dinners on, wash up will you?" Gladio announced as he entered the caravan. The younger pair were huddled on the couch on their phones, paying Gladio no mind. Until he nabbed their devices and made his presence known.

"Oh- Hey. What's up?" Noct asked innocently.

The Shield frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I said, go wash up 'cause Iggy's makin' dinner. In fact- Hit the shower Blondie, I wanna talk to Noct." 

With little argument, Prompto did as he was asked, slinking away to the cramped bathroom and leaving Noct at Gladio's mercy. "So… What's up?"

"Could ask you the same. You gonna apologise for snapping at Iggy yesterday?" Gladio said gruffly.

Noct huffed and sat back, staring at anything that wasn't Gladio. "I guess so."

"Look, Noct, you're not the only one going through shit. I get it hit you harder than us but we all lost something yesterday. You stopped moping around a bit but you can't expect Ignis to pick up the pieces all the time, he has feelings too."

Noct was stuck for words, for once. He knew Gladio was right, relying on his oldest friend to hold things together wasn't fair, especially not right now. "Alright… I'll apologise and try to pull my weight."

"Good man, I just don't wanna see us all break down, even if it is inevitable. See you in a bit." Gladio laughed, ruffling Noct's hair as he left. 

Heart to hearts really aren't Gladio's thing, apart from with Ignis, but right now it might be what everyone needs. To let it out and share the load, because that's what friends are for, helping through the rough patches and bringing out a better tomorrow. It's hard to think about what they can expect from tomorrow or the day after, or even next week, but it sure as hell can't get any worse. Right?


	6. Chapter six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this instead of sleeping so if there's any huge mistakes, let me know so I can change them!

Few moments of respite were given to the group over the next few days, ranging from burning bases to hunting down bounties for gil. Being reduced to hunters in their down time wasn't helping keep everyone calm. Though presently they were en route to Lestallum, Iris having called Noct earlier in the week which gave Gladio the peace of mind he desperately needed. So with one possible break down successfully diverted, that left three in waiting, although Gladio breaking down would be a sight for sore eyes indeed, as well as painful for those in his wake. 

Unfortunately there was one person that looked ready to burst and it wasn't the usual suspects. Gladio kept eyeing Ignis in the mirror every few minutes wearily, the Adviser looked beyond exhausted and irritable, the ridiculous amount of caffeine he'd ingested recently probably didn't help. 

It was becoming a common occurrence for Gladio to wake up and find Ignis reading something on his phone, coaxing Noct or Prompto back to sleep after a nightmare. And he was sick of it, one might suggest jealous even. Noct said he'd pull his own weight but ultimately it backfired, the lazy git would never learn, at least not until he broke Ignis, which was rapidly becoming inevitable. Not that the latter helped matters at all by coddling the man, bending to his every whim despite Gladio's insistence on 'tough love'.

"So… When we get to Lestallum, what're we gonna do exactly?" Prompto suddenly questioned.

Noct shrugged at the question, Gladio wasn't sure at all and Ignis frowned. "Our first priority should be reuniting with Iris. Then gather information on the area, in hopes of there being another tomb nearby, as well as replenishing our supplies."

"Right… Gotcha. That mean we're gonna be there for a few days?" 

"Probably. Iris ain't the type you can run away from, eh, Iggy?" Gladio prodded Ignis' shoulder with a smirk, the latter glaring at him in the rearview mirror. Prompto cocked an eyebrow with that confused puppy expression of his, waiting for an answer but unsure if he really wanted one. "Don't worry blondie. Iggy's like a brother to Iris, she just used to cling to him like a dog to a bone."

"And in the process permanently damaging Gladio's ego." Ignis cut in smugly, his smirk morphed into a cocky grin when Gladio flipped him the middle finger.

"I hate Noct's driving, but I ain't gonna hesitate to deck you Iggy, I'm super humble." Gladio joked. Well- he was actually half-serious.

“I’d like to see you try.” Was all Ignis said, it was all that needed to be said. 

Noct and Prompto were aware Ignis could hold his own against Gladio, more than that, he could put the Shield on his back. Not that Gladio would ever openly admit to losing to the Prince’s Adviser, who was meant to be a nerdy, puny pushover; not a super nerdy but too-hot-for-his-own-good badass.

On the way to Lestallum, the temperature just seemed to increase and it only made people all the more irate. After all, who really likes being sweaty, hot and confined in a cramped car for hours? Certainly not these boys. Especially since it's been this way for days now. Needless to say jackets were shed and sleeves rolled up, Ignis even resigned to unbutton a couple more if his shirt buttons than usual, not that Gladio was complaining.

Although, despite the horrid heat and sweaty locals, Lestallum seemed quite quaint and homey, given none of the boys hadn't been here prior to this trip. Prompto certainly enjoyed the scenery, both the architecture and seemingly endless women.

"Hey blondie? Wanna pick up your jaw?" said Gladio, obviously noticing Prompto's lack of subtlety and exploiting it.

Said man pouted and stuck his tongue out, Ignis rolling his eyes at the childish behaviour. "Did Iris tell you where she'll be?" 

"Yeah- Uh- The Leville. Just up this alley I think." Gladio replied, looking at the messages as he spoke. "C'mon."

Ignis all but shoved Noct and Prompto forwards impatiently, if the exasperation was anything to go by, the heat and exhaustion was finally making itself known. Gladio took the lead, looking all too pleased with himself at successfully navigating an alleyway. However a high pitched squeal was the only warning he got before Iris bundled him, almost sobbing at seeing them all in one piece, still she cracked a relieved smile. 

"Iris! Glad you're safe, I really owe Monica and Dustin." Gladio said happily, ruffling her hair with a lazy smile. 

Iris detached herself from her brother, hastily hugging Noct, then Prompto and practically leaping at Ignis, who wasn't totally prepared to be attacked. "I'm so happy you guys are okay! Jared and Talcott are here, too! Been a long drive?" She asked, one glance at her hostage answered her question. "C'mon, bet you guys could use some rest and food, huh?" 

Iris took the liberty of dragging them all upstairs, save for Ignis who stayed behind to properly sort out the room, she came back for him in no time though. Insisting he come and relax for a while, he didn't dare argue, any half-decent tactician knows when a battle is lost before it even begins. That meant he’d eventually have to sneak back down but the receptionist didn’t seem to mind the delay.

“So… Noct, I- Uh- I’m really sorry about…” Iris started, appearing unable to finish her sentence. “I’m just happy you guys are here. How’s things been? Y’know, being on the road and all.”

Noct was hesitant to answer, with good reason, things hadn’t been easy to say the least and there’s probably things Gladio doesn’t want Iris to know. “Noct doesn’t like camping, Prompto isn’t allowed to drive and Iggy’s gonna keel over from a caffeine OD. Did I miss anything? Oh and Princess is getting migraines.” Ignis lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes, grimacing at the can in his hand, Prompto seemed to catch on and made to change the topic before being interrupted by a soft knock at the door. A young boy poked his head round, and an eldery man came into view when the door was pushed open, Gladio and Iris seemed to almost literally light up at seeing the pair.

“Jared, Talcott, it’s good to see you!” Gladio said with one of those big, stupid grins. 

The boy, Talcott, stepped forward with an equally large grin but on him it looked adorable, on Gladio it looked ridiculous. “Prince Noctis! Miss Iris is safe with me!” He said, a fist over his heart and the other behind his back, much like the Glaive’s salute but unintentionally cuter because he’s a child. 

Jared looked quite embarrassed by the display, his sense of decorum overtaking his sense of humor. “Please excuse my grandson, he has yet to learn his manners.”

Noct simply shook his head and smiled, Gladio looking at the boy with a fondness. “I like him.” 

The old man seemed taken aback by Noct’s words, but gave him a warm smile and bowed his head respectfully. “Thank you, but we shan’t impose, Highness.” He said, patting Talcott’s shoulder as a sign to say goodnight. 

“A very goodnight to you Your Highness.” The boy said, following his grandfather hastily. 

They all took seats around the room. Noct, Prompto and Iris in the chairs, Ignis on one of the beds and Gladio stood idly beside him. “So Iris, what was it like inside the city?” Noct asked sheepishly, Gladio shifted a little at the question but let it slide since Iris looked willing to talk a little.

“It… Wasn’t pretty. The Citadel took a real beating but, at least the outlying neighbourhoods made it in one piece, pretty much.” She hesitated for a moment, glancing around at the other before focusing on Noct again. “If there’s anything else, you can always ask me.” While hidden well from Noct and Prompto, Gladio and Ignis knew she had a ‘unrequited love’ type crush on the stubborn Prince. Her brother often made fun of her for it, but Ignis was quick to remind him they weren’t so different, even if Iris’ crush is one-sided. He dropped the subject abruptly, his face redder than the carpet. 

Noct nodded and stared at his feet, fists clenched where they rested on his knees. “Uh- Thanks.”

“So, about Lady Lunafreya, there’s rumours she was in town. They say she left right away but… It means she’s okay. Anyways, get a good night’s rest.” She said, rising to her feet and hugging Gladio again briefly, leaving quietly. 

“Hey Specs, how many rooms we got?” Noct asked. 

“None yet, I was going to go and secure one now.” The Adviser replied, though he knew what Noct was going to ask next. “From that I’m assuming you would like us to use two rooms?”

Noctis nodded and smiled innocently. It wasn’t like it was an issue really, funds of course were a thing but they had done enough hunts recently to afford a little luxury, which would come in the form of separate beds. “That okay? I mean, we could all use a break from sharing beds and stuff, right? A decent night’s sleep might help my headache, too.”

“When you put it like that, I can’t argue. Nor would I, it’s your choice. I’ll be back in a moment, argue amongst yourselves on the arrangements in the meantime.”

“I call dibs on sharing with Noct!” Prompto announced. Not that there would really be any arguments anymore, should they have the splendor of having two rooms, Gladio always shared with Ignis. Even if Noct snuck in and stole the man from under the Shield’s nose, almost literally. 

True to his word, Ignis returned not five minutes later with two sets of keys in hand, tossing one to Noct. Prompto was liable to lose anything given to him, that wasn’t attached to him at any rate. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower, I trust you can entertain yourselves?”

“‘Course Iggy, what are we, kids?” Gladio asked, Ignis raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else before departing. “So, what’re we doing? Wanna play King’s Knight?”

“Sure, can get a couple of rounds in before bed, right?” Prompto claimed one of the beds, the one near the plug socket, pulling out his phone and getting comfortable. “Ready when you are, I made a room.”

Some time later, Noct had fallen asleep and Prompto was dozing off slowly, so Gladio took that as a sign to leave, he took the spare key from the boys’ keyring and locked the door behind him, sliding a note under the door mentioning it was locked. His own room was unlocked but Ignis was nowhere to be seen, not even in the bathroom and he hadn’t been here for a while either. 

(11:37) Gladio: hey, where are you?

He looked around for a note or something, find the second room key on the dresser but nothing else. Growling in frustration, Gladio resigned to sitting on one of the beds, scowling at his phone. There was a towel folded on the other bed, along with Ignis’ jacket, gloves and… Glasses? As well as what looked like his shirt stays. Which was all the more confusing, he never went anywhere without those things.

(11:40) Ignis: Apologies. I needed time to think and thought some air would help.

(11:40) Gladio: really? you left your glasses here. thought you were kidnapped or something stupid. 

(11:41) Gladio: where are you? i’m coming.

There was a moment’s delay, Gladio found himself staring at the speech bubble that showed Ignis was typing. It appeared, disappeared, and then reappeared, like he wasn’t going to tell him where he’d gone.

(11:43) Ignis: It’d be wise for you to stay with Noct and Prompto, should something happen and they need you, or perhaps Iris.

(11:44) Gladio: i hate it when you do this. i’ll wander round till i find you and i’ll drag you back here if i have to. 

(11:46) Gladio: Iggy. if you don’t answer i’ll have no choice but to be the adult here.

Ignis didn’t reply. So Gladio made good on his threat, taking the spare key and locking the door behind him, checking on the boys’ door out of habit and practically storming outside.

(11:50) Gladio: fine. i’ll drag your stubborn ass back. don’t care if you’re kicking and screaming either. kick my ass later.

Lestallum was pretty at night, but it was a big damn city, too. Ignis could be anywhere and now he knew Gladio was coming after him, he’d likely hide somewhere. Of course, the Shield knew his boyfriend well enough to know his habits at times like this, it isn’t the first time Ignis has gone out and not told anyone where he was going or when he’ll be back. The first place to look was the car, once Gladio had found him asleep in his car in the parking lot of the library. 

Of course, he wasn't there. Instinctively, Gladio looked around for any sign of him, eyes landing on an all too familiar Coeurl print shirt by the outlook. "Hey! Iggy!" He shouted, being hushed by someone a moment later, so the Shield grumbled his way over and took a seat beside Ignis.

"I should have known you weren't bluffing," He said quietly. "I told you to stay with the others."

Gladio wasn't listening really, he was more interested in what compelled the ever composed Ignis to go out in public… Like he was. Slightly damp hair- That didn't seem to be brushed either- no glasses, shirt untucked and no gloves. Although, he didn't look happy at all, he actually seemed… Unnerved and distressed.

"Y'know I don't listen to the voice of reason. You okay?" Asked Gladio, his gaze set firmly on Ignis' face, trying to read his expression.

"I'm fine, thank you." Was the only response. Not even a brief, assuring smile or a single glance in his direction. That was how Gladio knew Ignis was lying, the man had a bad habit of biting his lip when he was anxious, too. 

Gladio huffed and scratched the back of his neck. "Bullshit."

"Pardon?" Ignis rasped, his tone hid a warning that Gladio didn't pick up on.

"You heard me. I said bullshit. You're lying, so, you wanna tell me what's goin' on?" Gladio demanded. "Don't even think about tellin' me 'it's nothing'."

"But that's precisely what it is; nothing. Nothing you need concern yourself with at any rate, I'll deal with it." Ignis said, voice unwavering and his gaze cold as he stared out into the night.

"Ignis. You can't keep bottling this shit up and you know it. You're exhausted, you look ready to drop dead for God's sake!" He started, trying not to raised his voice as he continued. "I don't wanna shout and I don't wanna argue but, I gotta put my foot down sometime. We're not goin' anywhere until you get some sleep, without Princess and the Pea sneaking in and waking you up."

The Adviser just sighed, Gladio thought he saw a single tear roll down Ignis' cheek but it must've been a trick of the light, since it's dark and the lights are low in this area. "I… I can't sleep. Noct and Prompto aren't the only ones with nightmares. Sleeping with you used to help but, now it's useless, since we found out about the attack."

"I'm sorry… Look, you're just as human as the rest of us. If you need to cry just do it. Need to vent? Do it. If you just need a hug, I'll gladly give you one, or seven..." Gladio trailed off, seeing a tiny bit of tension leave Ignis' body in the way he exhaled deeply. "You might be the responsible one, but you're also the biggest hypocrite I know."

Gladio nudged his shoulder, combing his fingers through the unruly sandy locks, moving the fringe away from Ignis' eyes. Such a unique green shouldn't be hidden, much like his smiles. 

"You sound like me on a good day, perhaps I've lectured you too many times, it's started to rub off on you." Ignis said. Now he looked at Gladio, he could see the faint streaks down his cheeks and the damp eyelashes. 

"Don't get used to it, trust me. Anyway, y'know you can talk to me, right? Just like you're there for us, we're here for you, lean on us once and awhile. You're too pretty to go grey yet." Gladio said with a grin, his persistence was rewarded with a small smile. "I mean it, I can deal with a stunning and smart boyfriend but not a stunning but crazy boyfriend, so relax and open up, we've been friends for like a decade and a bit."

"Honestly, if you keep talking, I'm going to continue crying so please stop." The adviser said in a half-chuckle half-sob kind of way. "Can we go to bed now? If you're quite finished reprimanding me?" 

Gladio grinned and jumped up, feeling tired but buzzed at the same time. Taking Ignis' hand as they strolled back to the Leville, cherishing his soft hands because they were almost never without their armor. Much like Ignis himself, behind the tough exterior lies the soft vulnerable boy he used to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I low-key feel like Iggy isn't all stoic and calm 24/7 so I wrote this minor break, que responsible and supportive Gladio! Canonically Gladio and Noct sorta do it so... Prompto and Ignis may or may not fully break down later ;) y'know the event's of their DLC's, need I say more?


	7. Chapter seven

After a day or so of much needed recovery and decent showers, it was time to face the issue at hand. The cause of Noct’s headaches along with the earthquakes. Ignis couldn’t stand much more of the endless moaning and groaning about it, lest he go grey and develop a nasty twitch at the mere mention of a headache, no-one wants that at twenty-two. Gladio on the other hand had just about enough of the earthquakes spilling his cupnoodles everywhere, some things will never change. Prompto opted to change the subject every time either issue was mentioned, trying to entertain Iris and Talcott all the while. 

Noctis hadn’t really done much besides tour the town with Iris this morning. Prompto suggested they visit the outlook, unsure as to how it may help the situation but it turned out to be fruitful in a sense. Aside from running into the self-proclaimed ‘man of no consequence’, he merely said their meeting it was coincidental, the boys did not agree. 

“Come now, you may find the answers you so desperately seek, if you’re willing to accompany me to the Disc.” The man said, his voice grating to Gladio’s ears. The only aristocratic accent he wants to hear is Ignis’. Suffice to say Noct and Prompto would agree. 

Gladio nudged Noct and the four of them conferred on the matter. Settling to join him but, safety was their first priority, if something looked or felt dangerous they’d retreat immediately. Or be dragged off by Gladio. Whichever came first. “Alright. We’ll come with you.” Noct sighed, shifting uncomfortably under the man’s scrutinising gaze. 

“Excellent! I suppose a formal introduction is in order. My name is Izunia. Ardyn Izunia.” He said, flaunting to the parking lot with the boys in tow, a reasonable distance away however.

Ignis narrowed his eyes when the name clicked. “As in the Imperial Chancellor Izunia?” 

“The very same. Now! Allow me to choose your driver… You four will follow behind me. My poor thing pales next to your Regalia but she’s a lovely car. Now… I choose… You!” Ardyn pointed at Noct, amber eyes fixed on the Prince in a way that made Gladio and Ignis stand on guard. “I have a few rules before we depart. First, you’ll stay behind me, no over-taking. Second, no tailgating. Third, do keep up.”

Noct just nodded in mild interest, not really paying attention to what Ardyn was saying, he- Much like his friends- Just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. The sooner they stopped Noct’s headaches and figured out the source of the earthquakes, the sooner they could part with the ever charismatic Ardyn and continue with their journey.

With Noct behind the wheel this time, Ignis clambered into the backseat with obvious reluctance, brow furrowed in thought and fingers pulling at the loose thread of his jacket. Prompto looked like he was ready to burst- Into tears or laughter, one couldn’t be sure, Noct hadn’t driven at all yet and the apprehension was unwelcome with the knowledge that Ardyn was present and allied with- No, he was a leader for their enemies. The ones that had taken their homes and families from them, violated the trust of so many for something they cannot hope to fully possess or control, all for the sake of power. 

“So, what do we think about Ardyn?” Prompto eventually asked, snapping away at the passing landscape.

Noct hummed and tightened his hold on the steering wheel. “Creeps me out. We sure he ain’t going to screw us over?”

“I fear we have no other option. He seemed sympathetic to our plight, and has extensive knowledge of the Disc where we do not. However, I must confess he does seem rather…” Ignis trailed off, trying to find the right word.

Gladio cleared his throat, putting a hand on Ignis’ shoulder. “I think what Iggy means is: We don’t know shit and while this guy is super shady, he’s the best chance we’ve got at figuring this out right now.” Prompto snickered at the way Gladio grinned and Ignis glared, blocking the shield’s attempts at affection with a cold stare and his elbow, the gunner couldn’t help snapping a quick picture of the moment. 

“You two are like an old married couple, y'know? Makes me feel sick, it’s disgusting.” Noct chided, earning him a cuff on the ear from Gladio and an equally cold glare from Ignis, Prompto desperately tried holding in his laughter to avoid the same treatment. 

“Speaking of which, when’s the wedding and am I invited?” 

“Prompto. I’ll chuck you outta this car right now.” Gladio growled, kicking Prompto’s seat. 

The younger blonde chuckled and sighed. “Can I ask you guys something?”

“You just did.” Ignis said flatly. “If you’re going to ask if we can stop and visit the Chocobos again, I will personally throw you out of the car.”

“Nah! Although now it’s crossed my mind… I’m just curious, who tops in this relationship?” He said, gesturing to Ignis and Gladio with a wave of his hand, the smile on his face did nothing to hide his intentions. 

Gladio froze and dropped his book on his lap, trying not to double over in laughter, Ignis nearly choked on his Ebony and the pair looked at Prompto as if they were absolutely scandalised. “I beg your pardon?”

“What?! Since we’re just driving I thought I’d lighten to mood! My money’s on Gladio, Noct?”

“Gotta be Specs-” Noct said, eyeing Ignis in the rearview mirror with a cheeky grin. 

“Can we not talk about this? It’s called a private life for a reason.” Ignis demanded. Gladio remaining silent and blushing behind his book. The adviser would never, ever openly admit to allowing Gladio to ‘top’ their relationship and the shield knew that. “The workings of our relationship are none of your concern and we have more pressing matters that require our immediate attention.”

Ignis’ sanity was wearing thin currently and the younger two seemed to sense it, adjusting their juvenile behaviour to suit it. Unfortunately not to the advisers benefit, in turn affecting Gladio because he had to deal with them.

Prompto sighed again and sat back in his seat, a passive look on his face. “Guess you’re right. I’ll figure it out sometime though, one of you wears the trousers.”

“Prom, did I ever tell you about the time I made Iggy dress like a girl?” Noct met Ignis’ gaze in the mirror and chuckled at the advisers obvious distress, avoiding the glare sent his way. 

“No! Oh my god! I need to hear this story- And why it happened! Gladio did you know about this?!” He exclaimed, twisting in his seat to look at the larger man expectantly, sinking back properly when Gladio shook his head with a hidden smile. 

“Grab my phone, I’ve got a picture somewhere.”

The younger blonde found Noct’s phone and started scrolling through his pictures, keen on finding out if the rumour was true. Although, if the way he doubled over in laughter was any indication, he found it and thought it hilarious. Gladio reached over and plucked the device from his hands, choking down his own laughter for the sake of his boyfriend, and so he wouldn’t get stabbed later on. Needless to say, Ignis did not find it amusing. Noct did say he deleted the evidence but clearly he kept a photo or two for blackmail or personal amusement. 

Thankfully for him, time seemed to speed up with the younger two giggling away, and the view of the Disc wasn’t so bad either, even with the steadily increasing temperature. Prompto seemed to regain his senses when Ardyn pulled over, casting quizzical looks to his friends in turn. 

“I’m not one for the great outdoors, especially not with daemons prowling about, so how about we stay here instead?” He said, nodding to the caravan behind him. 

Noct sighed heavily, clearing not ecstatic about sleeping in the same vicinity as their suspicious guide, of course he wasn’t the only one. Gladio made a point of looking more threatening than necessary as if to say, ‘you touch my friends, I’ll deck you’. Not that Ardyn seemed to care, what with his calm and breezy attitude to everything so far. As well as the fact he seemed perfectly content to follow the retinue around, apparently by mistake. 

Even in the actual caravan Gladio had a certain protective aura about him, glaring at the red haired man on the other couch, Ignis, Prompto and Noct settled on the other while the shield lurked between them. Noct and Prompto inconspicuously huddled closer together like children with Ignis seemingly ready to summon his daggers. 

"Why the long faces boys? This is a great opportunity to get to know each other, no?" Ardyn sounded like a jester just as much as he looked like one. 

Ignis rose and shot a look at Gladio, silently asking to keep his eyes on Ardyn, slipping past the larger man in favour of the kitchenette. Prompto reared his head to see what the adviser was going to make, not that he minded much since everything he’d made so far was far better than expected, soon enough Noct expressed similar interest. 

“Ah! Judging by this I assume you’re the responsible one? And the large fellow is the bodyguard- Or rather shield, that leaves young Prompto here as the best friend, yes?” Ardyn surmised. “Such a balanced retinue you have here Prince, you’d do well to keep it together, it’d be a shame if something should befall you on your travels.”

Noct narrowed his eyes at the flamboyant man, glancing at Gladio and Ignis for some sort of help. “Yeah… Thanks... I guess?” He said wearily, shifting uncomfortably under Ardyn’s gaze. Although, that last sentence kept spinning around in his head, it sounded as though the Chancellor knew something they didn’t, not that it was difficult considering he seemed to be very well versed in the worlds affairs. It was enough to make Noctis feel uneasy, knowing they had a long and probably dangerous journey ahead only left more room for concern. 

The remainder of the evening was spent outside, the youngest of the group unconsciously sitting closer to Gladio while Ignis kept a watchful eye on Ardyn across the table, given the entire time he’s been in their company he’s been harmless and shown no open signs of ill-will towards any of them. He’s just a little creepy and has a very unique dress sense, especially in comparison to the typical black almost all Lucians wear- Wore, even. 

Sleeping arrangements for the night were more crowded than usual, accommodating an extra party member and a tall one at that. Noct and Prompto crammed themselves on the bed, the blonde practically sleeping on top of the Prince but neither seemed uncomfortable in the slightest, since Noctis sleeps like the dead and is just as hard to rouse. Ignis slept on the floor beside the bed- Albeit not because he wanted to but more a matter of necessity and safety, with that in mind, Gladio somehow managed to sleep in the hallway, propped up against the wall and looking cramped given his size. Which meant Ardyn had the sofa despite his willingness to share. 

\--------

“So where do we think this guy is from? Kinda hard to picture him as a Lucian, y’know?” Prompto asked, clicking through his pictures and occasionally looking up at the passing view. 

Noct hummed in thought, his gaze set firmly on Ardyn’s car and the road. “Dunno. Doesn’t sound Lucian either. Hey- Is your camera gonna be alright with the heat?”

“Should be okay if not… Well- I’ll try not to think about it- But I’m pretty sure it’ll be fine. I’m more curious if Iggy’s glasses can stand it.” He said, turning to glance at Ignis, camera safely deposited back in the glove compartment for now. 

“I don’t see why they shouldn’t…” Ignis replied, readjusting his glasses to sit properly on his nose, frowning as he thought about having to use the spare pair, internally shuddering at the prospect. 

“Even if they couldn’t- He’d be alright.”

Gladio chuckled and nudged Ignis arm playfully, “Yeah, Iggy’s eye’s ain’t that bad.”

Prompto looked back at the adviser again but this time in awe. “Wait- Really? Wow. Why don’t you- Y’know- Take ‘em off sometimes?” At that Ignis shook his head and muttered something inaudible to the rest of them. 

"Y' don't get it do you, kid. Iggy likes his word crystal clear, bet he'd sleep with 'em on if he could." Gladio joked, dodging Ignis' elbow. “I broke ‘em once and he got real assy with me for weeks.”

"Ah! Right. Gotcha. Wait, wait, wait- Kid? Really? I’m not even that much younger than you! And- I’m not under eighteen!” Prompto started babbling and defending himself, much to Noct’s chagrin since he’s within earshot of every little thing Prompto says, including the offended squeaks and pouts. At least his inner turmoil was entertaining enough that the remainder of the journey seemed shorter. 

Noct pulled up beside Ardyn at the blockade but the man didn’t spare them a glance, instead he put down the roof of his car and started waving. “Yoohoo! Hello! It’s me! Be a dear and open the gates!” He shouted, whoever he was talking to wasn’t visible that’s for certain. But that being said, the gates began to slide open with a grating sound, doubtable they received regular maintenance. Only then did Ardyn turn to face the boys, an innocent looking smile on his face as he gestured to the road ahead. “This is where we part ways I’m afraid, I’ll only take you thus far and I have other business to attend to. Do be careful, the paths can be… Perilous at times.”

Noctis, not being a man of words, nodding in thanks and continued down the road. True to his word, the roads were indeed perilous, one mishap or slip of the wheel and they’d be at the bottom of the crater. Or at the very least stranded on a stray ledge and in need of serious medical treatment, potions or not. 

Eventually they came to a point where they could no longer use the Regalia, and so resorted to walking, however just past the opening what did they find? A royal tomb, or, what was left of it. Unfortunately once Noct acquired the royal arm, Titan decided to make himself known and cause a horrendous headache for Noct, and a powerful earthquake. The indisposed prince ended up falling with the ledge they were standing on, not being able to move with the pain in his head, but Gladio thrust himself after his charge, leaving Ignis and Prompto above and panicking. 

The shield hauled Noct to his feet, Titan growling and rising up wasn’t exactly something you’d want to stand by and watch, not when his foot was coming your way. With their party split up, Gladio and Noct moved as far and as fast as they could to find higher ground, it meant the shield was forced to drag Noctis at some points, lest he be stomped on. 

Ignis all but shoved Prompto towards an opening so they could reunite with their friends faster and avoid any further landslides, however they did find Imperial dropships overhead and knew this was not going to be an easy feat, full party or no. With Titan after Noct and the Empire after Titan and Noctis… The retainers certainly had their work cut of for them. If only they could figure out what Titan wanted, things might be easier on them and especially on the prince. 

The route Noct and Glaido had to take was more like a heated obstacle course. Jumping, kneeling and sliding, avoiding the fiery rocks or else suffer nasty burns. Noct was beginning to slow down and sign in exasperation more than usual and it was starting to chip away at Gladio’s temper.

“I’m so sick of this endless walking…” Noct groaned, leaning with his hands on his thighs like he’d just run a marathon. 

Gladio finally snapped and grabbed his shoulder, forcing the prince to stand up and look at him. “And I’m sick of your endless whining! Calm the hell down!” He growled, holding Noct by the front of his jacket. 

“Get off my back…” Noct said, not sounding bothered in the least, only pushing at Gladio’s buttons. 

“Are you a man of royal blood of aren’t you?” 

“Of course I am!” Noct blurted, shoving Gladio away, the latter just stared at his fist for a moment. “I couldn’t forget it if I tried! What about it, huh?!”

Gladio turned to face Noct once again, the pair of them scowling at the other and neither backing down. “I ain’t saying you forgotten… But you gotta know something. You’re not the only one that’s going through shit, we’re all on edge.” Noct turned away and frowned at the floor, avoiding Gladio’s gaze as he continued, “We Amicitia are the king’s sworn shields. Protect the king with our lives… It’s always been that way. I’ve embraced my duty and take pride in it. So when you can’t focus, I do it for you, so let me do my job, alright?”

“... Alright.” Noct exhaled sharply, letting Gladio’s words sink in properly as they continued walking. “Your dad… I uh- I’m grateful to him, y’know.”

“He was just doing his job, never regretted it. I’m sorry, I had to get that out, you and Iggy can kick my ass later for it. For now, don’t rush off alone. Hey- Isn’t that… Your phone?” Gladio asked, frowning at the ringtone. So far there hadn’t been any signal or not enough to make a call. 

“It’s… Ignis? Hey-” Noct started, stopping when he heard what Ignis was saying, well, what he could get with the lack of service. An Imperial dropship flew over their heads just as the adviser was explaining the situation. “We got company… You good?”

“Good to go. Let’s get this over with so we can get outta here, gotta get you to Lunafreya in one piece.”

Who knew sprinting away from Titan’s giant fists was so thrilling? Noct and Gladio certainly wouldn’t agree but Prompto and Ignis were able to see them from their vantage point, also known as the point they’re stuck at, and would likely say it looked comical but deadly. So while Prompto was busy taking pictures in a mild panic, Ignis was searching for a way down, preferably safely but of course it would hurt because none of the boys have much luck, not to mention the presence of the Empire. 

“Prompto!” Ignis snapped, the younger blonde jumped so much he nearly dropped his camera, clutching it like a lifeline. “This way, we can meet them there.” To illustrate his point, Ignis pointed to the open area the others were headed to and Prompto nodded, trailing close behind the adviser and practically retracing his footsteps in order not to fall to his death. 

“Iggy- Y’know what you’re doing right? ‘Cause this- this is really dangerous… Even for you.” Prompto asked, his voice quivering a little apprehensively. “No offense dude.”

“I’m improvising. It’s rather hard to plan ahead when the entire area is falling apart- Jump here!” He shouted, leaping off the unstable ledge onto a more solid boulder, grabbing Prompto’s wrist when the photographer nearly slipped, thankfully he was quite light or else they’d both have fallen. 

Prompto shook Ignis’ shoulder and pointed at Noct, currently holding his own against the enormous fists and feet attempting to pulverise him, Gladio scrambling to his feet to hold the empire at bay. Adjusting his glasses quickly, the adviser nudged Prompto towards the edge of the boulder, sliding down to land on the one below, continuing timidly until they finally reached the bottom, whereby they were able to fight beside their comrades. 

“Took you guys long enough!” Gladio grumbled, slamming his shield into an MT before he turned to Ignis and Prompto, giving them a once over to make sure they weren’t injured. 

“Yes well, you two seem to be doing just fine.” Ignis replied sarcastically, tossing a dagger just above Gladio’s head, the latter whipped around and sighed in relief at the downed MT, saluting Ignis with a snarky grin. 

Prompto rushed to Noct’s side, patting his shoulder with a wide smile. Without warning Noct grabbed his friend’s jacket and warped backwards, Prompto fell to his knees when he was released, retching and glaring at the prince. Warping seemed to have that effect on people, more so for the first couple of times. Only when he saw a huge forearm sweeping across the place they’d just been standing did Prompto relent and laugh a little. 

Gladio and Ignis ran over to the younger two, standing defensively in front of them. “Noct, are you alright?” Asked Ignis, sparing his charge a quick glance. 

“Peachy. Got a plan Specs?” Noct asked, desperately hoping his adviser thought of something. 

“Of a sort. Give Gladio and Prompto an ice flask- I needn’t remind you to be careful with them- Noct, you’ll wear him down enough to give us an opening, should you succeed, it’ll be no trouble for us the freeze his arm and for you to deliver the final blow. Questions?” Ignis glanced at each of them in turn, satisfied with the silence that followed. 

Ignis’ plan was executed almost flawlessly, a couple of stray bullets from the MT’s wasn’t detrimental though, Noctis still managed to overwhelm Titan to the point he had to stop his assault on the prince. That gave the other three enough time and a perfect opportunity to freeze his arm solid, the Astral roaring at the prospect of defeat. Noct waited until Ignis signalled him to attack, summoning his newest weapon to shatter the Astral’s limb and in turn force him to submit.

Noct groaned once again, wincing at the pain in his head but stunned at the sudden epiphany. Luna was in Lestallum to forge a covenant with Titan, for Noct’s sake. Her risk didn’t go to waste. Titan hollered one last time, glowing a bright yellow as he began to disappear, golden wisps flowing towards and into Noct until the Astral had disappeared entirely, symbolising the prince had won Titan’s mark. It also meant the Empire would be disappointed to know they hadn’t taken down the Astral in time. 

The boys had little time to bask in their victory. With Titan gone there was no-one to hold up the meteor, it broke into pieces and began falling, cracking the floor beneath their feet and lava spurted up randomly, fires breaking out while the crater caved in. 

It seemed fate had other ideas, or the Imperial Chancellor was waiting. The man was growing too familiar for liking, a condescending smile plastered on his face as he surveyed the group. “Fancy meeting you here! Quite the predicament you’re in, no? It seems you’ve only got one option…”

All four men glared up at Ardyn, reluctant to even speak to the mysterious man without knowing his motives. Ignis turned his attention to Noct, Gladio and Prompto following suit, “Dying here is not an option. I loathe to admit we have no choice, except burning to death. It’s up to you though, Noct.”

On Noct’s word Ardyn lowered his ship, his grin sending shivers down the princes spine, though the Chancellor hasn’t given them any reason to view him as malicious, even though he seems genuine and helpful- If not stalker-ish, too- He is also allied with the Empire. So without knowing where they’re going to end up, if they’ll end up anywhere at all, the four of them sat huddled into one corner of the drop ship, just waiting until they were released.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy! Sorry this took longer than usual, and it's less feelsy than usual but there's banter, I had zero motivation... Um, with regards to endings and stuff (And how much I cry)... 'Cause Ep. Ignis has multiple endings I'm just curious which one you'd wanna see written out? Which in turn affects how long the series is going to be, what happens, etc. 
> 
> So, y'know, if you want a different ending from the canon one just drop a comment or a message, I don't bite and it'd help a lot ^^ It's a ways off yet but I'm not covering the little bits so it'll get to that point soon and I need to plan! I could also just write the canon ending but write alternate endings once it's done? 
> 
> I dunno, let me know if you have a preference or it'll just be canon events (;^;) and maybe I'll write the alt endings at the end of the instalment. If I can be bothered.


	8. Chapter eight

A week or so after the battle with Titan, the boys are frustrated and stranded, having lost track of their beloved car, appreciated now more than ever. Riding chocobos everywhere isn't good on the back or rear end, despite Prompto's unwavering adoration of the feathered creatures. They'd enlisted Cindy to assist in finding the runaway vehicle, convinced it couldn't have gotten far but that's hoping the Empire had nothing to do with the disappearance, which was the most likely scenario when she informed them it hadn't appeared at a garage. With that in mind, the question becomes: Where did they take it? And why?

"Can we not just- Y'know- Ask Ardyn to help out?" Prompto asked sheepishly, wandering aimlessly along the path, his attention otherwise engaged with his feathery friend across the ranch.

"It would be wise not to rely on the Chancellor, he is after all our enemy, regardless of the trustworthy facade." Ignis replied, scrolling through his news feed, searching for some sort of lead on the car or a royal tomb. Just something productive to busy them, they'd already taken up a reasonable amount of hunts so it wasn't like their coffers were gathering dust anymore.

Noct's attention was suddenly stolen by a familiar barking. Umbra, in all his fluffy glory, sat before him, barking again before standing, scampering off but not without checking the boys were following. The dog seemed to be leading them towards the trees, a little way from the ranch and out of immediate sight, sitting right in the middle of the small open area. Noctis grew confused, whirling around at the sound of a snapping twig.

"... Gentiana." Noct said, almost breathlessly. The woman appearing from behind one of the trees, graceful despite the downpour and bitter winds.

"Hear me, O King of the Stone. By the Stormsender's blessing, will the path to the Stone be opened. The Oracle goes hence, in her King's name." She spoke plainly, but her voice soft, her words rang in Noct's head.

"Luna... Where is she?" Noct asked, hopeful but reserved. The other three stayed silent in both awe and respect, Prompto more than Gladio and Ignis.

Gentiana folded her hands in front of her before answering. "The eye of the Storm. When the covenant is forged. The Oracle and the Ring shall await their King in the Walls of Water. Stray not from the path."

Noct's gaze left her for just a moment but the woman was nowhere to be seen when it returned, Umbra remained in her stead. Prompto looked to Ignis for some sort of enlightenment about the mysterious woman. "She's a Messenger, a spirit faithful to the Oracle." He clarified, the younger blonde looked no more knowledgeable than he did five minutes ago, tilting his head towards Noct.

"Wait- For real?"

Gladio huffed, crossing his arms as he paced. "We're goin' way beyond real now, kid."

The prince wasted no more time in retrieving the notebook from Umbra, Prompto hesitating to fuss the dog and deciding against it. Noct seemed overly bashful when reading said notebook, this time dipping his head a little as he wrote out his reply, whatever it was he would never share with his friends. Umbra waited patiently while Noct scribbled down his message, nudging his hand when the notebook was replaced on his back.

"Let Luna know... I'm okay and I'll see her real soon, she won't have to wait much longer." Noct said to his companion. Watching the dog acknowledge his message and fussing him quickly, the animal had more pressing matters to tend to than hang about.

"Lady Lunafreya has done remarkably to safeguard the Ring." Ignis said, trudging after Noct.

"Yeah- All we need to do now, is hit Altissia!" Prompto beamed.

Ignis hummed and cleared his throat. "Well. That entails passage aboard a ship. Hopefully Caem can provide that as it did thirty years ago."

Gladio grunted in agreement, looping an arm over Ignis' shoulders, the other resting on Nocts. "I'll mention it to Iris, see if she can set it up for when we get there."

"So... What're we doing now? Outside. In the rain. And in the cold. Did I mention it was raining?"

"We-" Noct hauled Prompto towards him and slung an arm over his shoulder. "- Are going into the storm." He said, nodding towards the near-constant bolts of purple lightning.

The young photographer couldn't help but groan and whine about his hair getting ruined. To which Noct pointed out what the weather had done to Ignis, obviously finding it amusing, in turn making the adviser self-conscious and Prompto stop moaning. Gladio ran his fingers through Ignis' hair, ridding it of the gel and letting it fall flatly against his forehead with a grin, no doubt it'd dry in a haphazard mess later on.

Prompto was so fixated on finding out how many of his bedtime stories were real. Suffice to say, Ignis managed to give facts about many of them, proving there was some truth in the legends and stories. As if encountering a living God, a magical dog and a messenger wasn't already enough, not including using and seeing magic almost everyday in some form or other. Alas, that could be down to his more vanilla upbringing than the others. Noctis of course was born into magic, Ignis had studied in order to utilise it with time and training, Gladio... While not as proficient as his charge or partner, was still raised around it and could use it. Though in his case, it usually ended with singed eyebrows, someone paralysed for about half an hour or someone frozen solid for the better part of the day. In which case it was usually Ignis, since he offered to assist in Noct's stead.

Even so, it's one thing to read the legends and hear them as bedtime stories, and another to actually see the reality, it'd be enough to awaken anyone's childlike bewilderment. Prompto mentioned the picture's he managed to take in the heat of battle and while he and Ignis were searching for a safe passage down, having forgotten about them until now, though understandably he was reluctant to show them while it was pouring, he treasured his camera over his life sometimes. There'd be time the reminisce later, in the safety of camp or a motel.

So, as expected, the trek towards the runes was much easier said than done. The chocobos didn't seem pleased to be out in such weather and were more agitated than usual, nevertheless, the birds still co-operated. To an extent. In addition to the temperamental birds though, the Empire decided to send MT's to intercept Noct's attempts at reaching the runes, of course they didn't succeed. The boys were cold, wet and tired, therefore fought harder than usual. With two runes down so to speak, marvelling at how they reacted to Noct's presence for a moment or two, the Chocobros- As Prompto declared the group shall be called- Moved on to the last one. According to the giant lightning strike, located in a cave, another seemingly endless one at that.

"Y'know, I'm starting to hate caves. How far d'you think it goes?" Prompto asked, keeping his voice down, with good reason in a place like this.

Noct huffed, almost slipping over on a particularly wet area, groaning as the tunnel continued downwards into endless darkness. An exaggeration perhaps, but currently, with the bats scaring Prompto into jumping on Gladio's back, it was deemed appropriate. Particularly when their light only reached so far ahead and with darkness; comes daemons. Imps to be precise, thus far at least, but something large seemed to be following them and it forced extra caution.

Unless you're Prompto who likes to stick his head into any and all alcoves or tunnels and then run a commentary or scream. In this particular case however, it seems like a combination of momentary shrieking and a startling commentary, something having dragged Prompto off through the tunnel he was examining.

"Prompto! Hey! You okay?!" Noct shouted into the darkness, sighing in relief at spotting his friends light in the distance.

"No I'm not okay! Why'd we even come in here?! This is literally the worst!"

Noctis nodded to Ignis quickly before he warped across the chasm to assist Prompto, the other two making their own way around, watching the shadows carefully as they moved, their little rays of light won't be nearly enough to deter daemons from interrupting. Thankfully though, they'd all taken more interest in Noct and Prompto, allowing both Ignis and Gladio to regroup safely and dispatch a couple of daemons with their wake. The daemons were mainly Imp's but there was a small group of Hobgoblins in the area, too. Of course that left the question of what dragged Prompto through the tunnel.

Valiant efforts and careful timing proved useful, the miniature Imp army was disbanded with ease and few injuries. It was then Prompto described his captor as a giant snake. Ignis tried figuring out what it could have been but there were a number of snake-like daemons and creatures, fortunately they discovered the story of the cave beforehand, merely by chance as it were but nonetheless it was invaluable information as of now. When they ventured further, into what they hoped was the last alcove, the creature appeared, trying to speak but when Noct replied it just infuriated the creature.

"I told you! A giant snake!" Prompto shouted, rolling to avoid a lethal tail sweep.

Ignis sighed and pulled him out of the way of another sweep. "It's a Naga, be sure to avoid the fumes and poison, I cannot recall what the effects are, stay sharp."

Noct nodded as he warped into the back of the Naga, the creature shrieked in pain as she tried to grab him, Gladio grabbed Noct's arm and hauled him out of harm's way, blocking the Naga's strike with his shield. Prompto distracted the creature with a well placed shot to the side of her head, ducking behind Ignis when the adviser surged forwards with his stormbound daggers, Noct summoned his lance and Ignis caught on quickly, swapping out his daggers for his lance and linking up with Noct.

The Prince was probably thankful he asked Ignis to teach him some acrobatics, after all, they'd save his life more often than not and allowed him to team up with his adviser for complex dual attacks. Prompto returned with a flurry of shots, standing on Gladio holding him up on his shield for a better angle.

In a sudden haze of green mist, Gladio seemed to have disappeared, having thrown Prompto away from the offending mist. Noct then shot a lightning spell at the Naga, Prompto hauling a grenade to finish it off.

"So... Where'd Gladio go?" The gunman asked.

"I believe... This is him." Ignis gestured to the frog between his feet, Prompto couldn't help but burst out into laughter.

Noct came waltzing over after making sure the Naga was gone, instantly snorting at the new Gladio. "Hey Specs- You remember the tale of the Princess and the Frog?"

"Noctis. Now is not the time to jest, have we any sort of antidote? I recall buying a couple for situations such as this." Ignis said, scooping up the frog and frowning at it. "You should be more careful next time." Gladio croaked in response, sitting comfortably in Ignis' hands.

"Yeah... Um... I think I took 'em out of the armiger earlier by mistake. They're in my Chocobo's pack."

Ignis' frown turned into an outright scowl, rolling his eyes he dropped Gladio into his pocket and continued to the next opening, Noct and Prompto jogging to catch up after their laughter subsided. Through the narrow passageway was indeed the last rune stone, the surrounding area a stark contrast to the rest of the cave. Once Noct touched it, the familiar electric sparks flew wildly, the rune disappearing and from the sounds of it, taking the harsh rain with it, signalling it was time to move on.

"Y'know, if you kiss him he might turn back." Noct said with a grin.

"Yeah! It's magic! And spells can be broken by true love's kiss!"

"I am not kissing a frog, regardless of whether it's Gladio, now, make yourselves useful would you?" Ignis snapped, Noct and Prompto quickly piped down, scrambling onto a nearby rock to avoid the icy glare sent their way. "Unbelievable."

The antidote was in fact named 'Maiden's Kiss'. Gladio hopped out of his pocket and onto the floor, looking up expectantly. "You know, I rather like you like this, it's quieter and there'll be more room in the car, not to mention the tent and beds." Ignis mused, shattering the casing over the frog and watching as Gladio reappeared, it was fascinating in an odd way, watching a frog morph back into a man.

Ignis stopped his observation and turned his attention to the sky, Noct and Prompto already noticed the huge airship overhead and Gladio focused on it as soon as he was able to.

"Where'd you think that's headed?" Prompto asked.

"Wherever it's going, it's gotta be huge to fit something like that. Wanna go find out? Might find somethin' useful." Gladio huffed, turning to Ignis for the verdict.

"It isn't wise but the Regalia isn't at any of the garages, it could very well be in Imperial hands, our best chance at finding it is to look, even so it'd deal a crushing blow to the Imperial forces. What say you Noct?"

Noct hummed and followed the direction of the airship, turning to face Ignis, too. "Yeah. Let's go."

\-----------

Upon finding the base, Ignis suggested that they wait for nightfall, otherwise they could be detected and it'd be disastrous in more ways than one. The others would almost always trust Ignis' judgement and plans, since he was the smartest and most level-headed, not the fact he was literally brought up to strategise or anything. So of course no-one objected to the stealthy approach, provided they could pull it off, they'd deal damage to the Empire regardless of whether the Regalia was really inside. It was wishful thinking that it would be.

"So how're we doing this? They ain't blind or anything..." Gladio asked, peering over the cargo box they were hidden behind. "There's three out here. Could just take 'em out."

Ignis grabbed his wrist before he could move and shook his head. "No. There's a chance it'll attract unwanted attention. Noct, do you think you can warp strike them from behind? If not, we'll find another way." Gladio just kneeled there pouting at being told 'no', adding a frown to that when Noct proved he could warp kill the guards without drawing attention.

Despite Gladio's apparent restlessness, they did manage to sneak around the base undetected, even opening the gates which were conveniently left unattended. It was enough to arouse suspicion with the lack of MT's in the area but as luck would have it, the Regalia had been left in the middle of the lot. Under a spot light no less. Of course with no obstacles in their way, the boys ran straight over to her and were relieved to find she was in near perfect condition.

Their relief was short lived however, apparently the lack of guards wasn't mere happenstance after all but part of a larger plan. Groups of MT's woke up as if on command, no doubt in an effort to overwhelm the party, if the MA approaching were any indication in addition to the infantry.

There was a couple of things the boys had that the Magitek troops would never have, comradery and determination. While the infantry moved as single units under a simple order, the party could attack with devastating combinations and singular abilities. Prompto with his keen eye and near-perfect aim, almost never missed a target, being able to use various firearms and create openings. Gladio almost literally crushed his enemies with both brute strength and heavy swings of his great sword, interrupting attacks with his shield or his body. Ignis and his deadly precision with his daggers, coated in poison or combined with elemancy, either that or confident strike with his lance. And then their Prince, Noctis, adjusting to whatever their foe may be with his proficiency in almost all arms he possesses, elemancy and summons included.

As a matter of fact, with Ramuh's newly acquired help, the majority of the base had been destroyed, the generator along with it meaning any remaining troops would be severely hindered. A truly eye-opening spectacle to witness, the power of the Six. At least, that's what they were talking about before Prompto yelped in surprise. All four of them turned around, facing whoever spooked the gunman, Prompto scurrying behind Ignis as both he and Gladio stepped forward on the defensive.

"Ravus..."

"Long has it been Noctis." Ravus said, sword drawn at his side as he marched towards them, like a man on a mission. "You've received the Storm's blessing but no nothing of the consequences, or care little for them." The edge of his sword now pointed at Noct's throat threateningly.

"Watch it." Gladio growled as he tried to stand between them, instead having the edge of the sword against his neck, stepping back reluctantly with his teeth bared and eyes on Ignis in a silent hint. The adviser changed his stance only to have the man raise his hand to still him, Prompto not knowing what to do in this situation stood anxiously watching.

"Be still."

"Not... Good. Who- Who're you?" Prompto asked sheepishly, eyes darting from his friends to the man threatening them.

Ravus brought his arm back, metal clad compared to the rest of his body and armour, glaring at Noct as he did so. "The heir to a crown befitting of no other... Witness his splendour and glory. All hail the King of Light, the Chosen King." He said mockingly, if not with begrudgingly.

Noct sneered and returned the glare tenfold, obviously learning from Ignis. "You're one to talk, all high and mighty despite being an Imperial rat, hunting down Luna for the Empire!"

"I do not serve, I command!" Ravus gritted out, seizing Noct by his throat and shoving him back enough for Gladio to race in between them, Prompto making sure his best friend isn't hurt. "The King's sworn shield I assume?"

"You'd better believe it." Gladio squared up to him, rising to his full height and towering over Ravus by a couple of inches, eyeing the way the commander began raising his sword once more.

Ravus abruptly brought it down on him, Gladio summoning his sword to block the effortless swing but struggling to stand his ground, not expecting the sheer power difference between them. His guard down and too focused on keeping the sword off his head and away from Noct, Gladio hadn't the time to block the next blow to his chest, flinging him back into the car with a heavy thud. Prompto moved to his side to steady him, Noct being the one to stand protectively this time, his fists clenched in frustration and anger.

"Hey! Wanna go? C'mon, let's do it!" He said, summoning the spectral arms and facing Ravus, staring intently.

Ravus' glare was colder than any winter they'd faced, his mismatched eyes ablaze with unresolved ire and resentment. "Should the Chosen fall, then that too, is fate." However he didn't move to strike, instead his attention was snatched by none other than Ardyn, waltzing towards them carelessly. Noct dismissed his armiger then, he and Ignis ready for a fight should the need arise.

"I'd say that's far enough, wouldn't you? A hand, Highness?" He asked, waving a hand at Ravus who now had his back to them all, hand tightening around the handle of his sword.

"Not from you."

"You wound me! I'm here to help." Ardyn said nonchalantly, hands up in mock surrender.

Ignis stood straight and pinned the Chancellor with a hard stare. "And how is that?"

"By taking the army away! Next we meet, it'll be across the seas. It just so happens we have our own business with the Hydrean, don't we?" He said, glancing over his shoulder at Ravus, the commander nodding in agreement. Ardyn stood before Noct, the smile plastered on his face enough to make the prince shiver. "Fare thee well, Majesty."

Once Ardyn and Ravus were out of earshot, Prompto decided to pipe up. "You guys... Know that guy?"

"Ravus Nox Fleuret. First son of Tenebrae and elder brother to Lady Lunafreya." Ignis replied, watching the two depart as far as he could see, beside him Noct sighed heavily and he too, just watched them walk away. "Now that we have the car... I propose we return to Lestallum. With any luck, Iris and the others will have reached Caem by the time we arrive so we can move on."

"Then why're we headed to Lestallum rather than straight to Caem?" Noct asked, rejecting the silent invitation to drive and hopping into the backseat.

Ignis slid into the driver's seat, patiently waiting for them all to buckle up and settle. "We can replenish our curative supply as well as address any pressing repairs the car may require."

Getting out of the base was comically easy, the lack of interruptions obviously made the journey effortless. However, when the group spotted Iris near the Leville, her face showing nothing but despair, they knew something had gone wrong with the trip to Caem. At least it was clear nothing befell Iris.

After a brief reunion that delayed her explanation, she eventually had no choice but to explain to the group what they'd missed on their travels. Jared had been taken in for questioning by the Empire, someone had mentioned they were from Insomnia, unfortunately, he never returned and Talcott the poor boy was broken-hearted and alone. Save for Iris that is, and the retinue of course. Noct promised to do right by Jared and stop the Empire, for Talcott's sake. The boy had been taken to Caem with Dustin and Monica prior to their arrival but Iris said she would wait for her brother to return.

They opted to spend the night at the Leville now, per Ignis suggestion and Iris' demand. Plans could wait for tomorrow, right now, everyone mourned for Jared but none more than Gladio and Iris.

Currently the boys were with Iris in her room, Ignis having made arrangements for them to retire to later on, she seemed to enjoy their company nonetheless. Gladio however had departed early, much to the surprise of everyone in the room and Ignis grew worried if not a little suspicious. Iris actually jabbed him in the side and nodded to the door, subtly sure but her intent was clear as day.

Gladio all but ignored the sound of the door closing, expecting it to be Prompto to Iris but instead a gloved hand rested on his shoulder. He hadn't even heard Ignis' footsteps so it came as a surprise. The room was hot so rather than voluntarily bake in the heat, he'd come to stand out on the balcony overlooking the city, the breeze was still warm but welcome and the bustling city below a needed distraction.

"Iris send you after me?" He asked, not looking away from the view for a second.

"That's one reason I'm here. The other is; I'm worried about you, you've been quiet all evening, it's rather uncharacteristic of you." Ignis replied, removing his hand and leaning on the railing beside Gladio. "Are you alright? I know it's a foolish question in light of recent news but..."

Gladio scoffed and turned away, unintentionally giving off the wrong signal so Ignis backed off back into the room. "I guess it is a stupid question. C'mon Iggy, I just lost another person close to me... He was there for as long as I can remember and he's gone! Not just that... That guy threw me back like I was nothing, what good is a shield that can't protect? I can't protect any of you, damn it! You wouldn't get it. You're so closed off and it takes a shit storm to make you crack." He didn't mean to raise his voice, he could practically feel Ignis tense up from across the room from it though and it sent a giant spike of guilt through him.

"You're right. I don't 'get it', but what I do understand is when I'm not wanted. I'll tell the others you needed time- Goodnight."

The shield moved with a speed he didn't know he had, grabbing Ignis' wrist before he could open to door. "Ignis wait- I'm sorry."

Ignis didn't spare him a glance, instead focused his gaze anywhere but Gladio. "There's nothing to apologise for. I asked a ridiculous question and I wasn't happy with the answer, it's as simple as that. You know... If you need time alone, from all of us, you could just tell us."

"You're one to talk, Mister I-run-off-and-cry-where-no-one-can-see-me. But thanks I guess. Sorry I snapped at you. Just been stressful, I guess you can get that, with taking care of us lot and all." Gladio said, his free hand turned Ignis' head so he was staring at him rather than the vase near the bathroom. "I'm gonna shower then I was gonna get an early night, stay with me?"

"On one condition." Ignis replied with a sad smile, Gladio tilted his head a little in question. "I don't plan on spending the rest of my life with a broken version of you, keep yourself together for me?"

Gladio thought he might melt into the floor right there and then. "You do realise you said the 'rest of my life', right? We ain't married yet."

"Indeed but you made a promise, therefore you must fulfil this condition to uphold it, unless you changed your mind?"

"Like hell I have. Do Haribo rings count? 'Cause I've got some of those in my bag." Gladio grinned, loving how Ignis could make him smile even after the shitty day it's been and with what seemed to be a slip of the tongue. But Ignis never makes mistakes with words.

"Save one for me and ask me once we're in Altissia. Now, go and shower, I'll inform the others we'll be retiring for the evening, bear in mind the door will be unlocked for Noct and Prompto so no shenanigans please."

Gladio had the quickest shower of his life that evening, looking forward to cuddling up to Ignis and perhaps he'd stay there, not be whisked away by Noct for comfort. If he was, Gladio would just steal him back. After all, their bodies may belong to Noct but their hearts belonged to each other. Being with Ignis had changed Gladio's life for the better, if someone once told him that his best friend would also be the person to make him the happiest man on Eos, he'd have laughed in their face and told them to wake up. Now, he can't think of a life without the adviser in it, for better or for worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took my way longer than I wanted it to but I finished chapter eight! And figured out the ending! My thanks to the guys that commented and gave me a push, hopefully the ending I have in mind will suffice and be feelsy enough as well as lead on to the last work in the series (Which will cover a few events of the WoR and end-game stuff). So thanks for sticking with me, the kudos and comments thus far are and have been appreciated! Thanks again!


	9. Chapter nine

Noctis and Prompto may believe they’d gone to bed the latest but Ignis was still very much awake long after they’d fallen asleep, almost bundled on their shared bed like a couple of children. Gladio slept like he was dead to the world that night, never once loosening his hold on his boyfriend unless he desperately needed to shift into a more comfortable position. It was a long night indeed and the next day would undoubtedly be no more merciful than the last.

Last night, before Gladio and Ignis had ‘gone to bed’, they’d all agreed on taking Iris to Caem with them the next day, it would be safer for her and put her brother’s mind at ease a little. Unfortunately for her, they’d found another Imperial base and were set on taking it down, for Jared. Iris may have been forbidden to fight or tag along but she knew what they’d be doing, taking down the Empire one base at a time. Each MT was a small victory for Lucis and a loss for Niflheim, especially with the Chosen King and his retinue gaining strength by the day. The looks on their faces upon returning from their ‘bust-a-base’ mission were mixed, victorious in some sense but defeated in another. Even so, the base was destroyed spectacularly, with or without their secondary objective complete, it was a victory.

Once they were back on the road, it was as though there was a weight lifted from the group, the burden eased ever so slightly after the little excursion. Sights set on getting to Caem in one piece, Noct and Prompto were summarily banned from driving, not that Iris knew that, Gladio had made it clear before they met here at the gas station.

“So… Lemme get this straight. Ignis drives, cooks, cleans, does pretty much everything and you guys do… What?” She asked, prodding Gladio’s cheek with that stare, one she’d learnt off Ignis no doubt. “Gladdy? D’you do anything to help?”

“Well…” Gladio replied, blocking her elbow, relieved when her attention turned to Noct.

“Uh… I sometimes drive…” Even Prince Charmless wasn’t immune to her incessant poking and prodding, she jabbed him right in the ribs and he doubled over, tapping the back of Ignis’ seat in defeat.

“Well! I set the table, and- Sometimes I drive!” Prompto chimed in before the younger, slightly scarier Amicitia turned her wrath on him.

“C’mon kiddo give us a break. Iggy’s the only one that drives ‘cause he’s the only one we can trust not to crash it or mess around, plus the rest of us suck at cooking anything but cup noodles or toast.” Gladio laughed at the way Ignis eyed him in the rear-view mirror. “Well, two of us can cook toast.”

“That was one time! Lay off big guy!” Prompto squeaked, throwing Ignis empty Ebony can at him.

“It’s a wonder Iggy don’t let you near his cooking stuff.”

The drive was quiet after that, aside from Iris’ giggling at Prompto’s pout or the occasional rustling of the snack bag. Gladio remained quiet apart from engaging in the odd conversation or two, adding a quip or pun here and there when no-one else would, finding solace in his novel more often than not. Iris still sent Ignis a worried look whenever she caught his eye in the mirror but she knew he couldn’t do anything about it, the man already knew what was bothering Gladio but there was naught he could do but lend an ear and a shoulder to cry on.

It was upon finally arriving at Caem that things took a turn for the worst, yet again. Cindy greeted them on the way to the lighthouse, chattering away about how the boat was almost repaired, the only problem was they were unable to finish it without some Mythril. Ignis told her they were on hand should she need them to retrieve anything, in which case she roped them into helping, not that they had much else to be doing aside from gathering Royal Arms that is.

“Hey, you got a minute?” Gladio asked, the question directed at Noct, who nodded and waited for him to continue. “You guys are gonna have to go on without me. Got some personal stuff to deal with.”

Noct immediately looked to Ignis for help but he was otherwise engaged in a seemingly deep conversation with Monica, Prompto showing Talcott his photos with a huge grin plastered on his face. “How long you gonna be gone?”

The shield took a moment to think about it, actually unsure of how long his endeavour would take. “Not long, I’ll be back before you guys set out for Altissa, don’t worry.”

“Said goodbye to the other two? Namely Ignis?” When Gladio didn’t reply, Noct sighed and shook his head. “He’s gonna be pissed but that’s your problem. Just get back here in one piece, yeah? I need someone to back me up on arguments.”

“I’ll be back, just don’t get into too much trouble, those two ain’t built for taking hits like I am.” Gladio replied with a smile, glancing over at Ignis briefly before he turned away, trudging down the stairs like a man on a mission. Which in fact, he was.

Noct watched him bid goodbye to Iris, his gaze following until the shield was too far away. At that point, it was time to mentally prepare for the lecture on precaution now Gladio had left, though there was a glimmer of hope that Ignis would forgo it in light of being irritated. After all, Gladio could be a pain in the ass, but he was a brother and a vital part of the group, sure they had enough skill but they’d be lacking in brute strength.

Fortunately, Ignis realised Gladio’s absence straightaway and hadn’t commented on it, nor questioned Noct on why he’d left. It was likely his opinion would be thrust onto the shield upon his return- That or the silent treatment Ignis had perfected over the years. Prompto on the other hand didn’t seem to take it well, he looked nothing short of distressed. Likely out of genuine concern for their comrade as well as for their own well-being, what with their need to gather Mythril.

\--------

The next couple of weeks were tougher than Gladio’d ever admit. Without his camping gear- Left with the others- it meant he was either sleeping on the hard ground or scrounging up enough gil for a motel room. There was only so only one could live off Cup Noodles, too, no matter how much he loved them. Another thing he’d never admit, especially not if it gave Ignis to satisfaction of being right. Again. Make no mistake, Gladio loved the outdoors because it gave him freedom but he was lonely.

Although, the entire reason he’d actually left the group, temporarily, was for self-improvement. The encounter with Ravus had damaged his pride, made him feel inadequate in more ways than one.

A weak shield protects naught.

Those words rang in his head louder every passing moment. They left a gaping hole that needed to be filled with something other than self-pity. If he couldn’t even protect Noct against Ravus, who was merely playing with them, then what kind of shield was he? His weakness could jeopardise everything and put everyone in harm's way. If something happened to Noct, Prompto or Ignis… He’d never forgive himself. Never quite move past the guilt and uselessness. If he was going to be the shield his King needed, the man he wanted to be for Ignis, he needed to improve. 

Which is why he’s sat in a diner waiting for Cor. At first it sounded ludicrous, even the thought of freelancing for a while sickened him, it seemed worse than treason for some reason. Now Gladio’s terrified of the imminent scolding he’s in for when he returns. The Marshal hadn’t sounded too enthusiastic about Gladio’s idea, but relented and agreed to accompany him only because of his past experience. Cor was named the ‘Cor the Immortal’ for a very good reason, he narrowly escaped many battles that others hadn’t lived to tell.

The door to the diner swung open, a familiar tapping of boots on the floor and Cor was sat next to him, looking grim as can be. Not that the man ever smiled, save for the one training incident all those years ago.

“So. Are you ready?” He asked hesitantly.

Gladio took a moment to collect his thoughts once more, inhaling sharply before he turned to the Marshal. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“If you’re certain. No-one’s going to hold it against you for not going through with it, you know that.” Cor said, his gaze finally settling on Gladio, there was something soft behind his eyes that the shield couldn’t quite figure out.

The Marshal didn’t wait for another reply, he must’ve sensed Gladio’s determination, that or his mask betrayed him. Try as he might, he could never rival Ignis poker face- None of them could- Which lost him many games of poker. The three of them ended up banning Ignis from playing or putting him at a disadvantage, not that it mattered when you’re playing with a master tactician. Either way, the sooner they left, the sooner he’d be back where he belonged.

The journey wasn’t long, Gladio had been hanging around the tempering grounds for a few days, checking off hunts while he made his choice. It wasn’t overly common knowledge that Cor had tried to undertake the trials, but he was the only one to try and return while unsuccessful. Others had made valiant attempts, past shields and renowned hunters alike but none had emerged victorious and none but young Cor had returned to tell the tale.

That being said, it didn’t phase Gladio as badly as he once thought. The prospect he’d not be able to return to his King and Ignis… It hurt of course but he couldn’t bring himself to dwell on it. He swore an oath to Noctis and promised Ignis, neither he was willing to break without a real fight and if he were to fall then so be it.

I don’t intend to spend the rest of my life with a broken version of you, keep yourself together for me?

“Remember, if you fall, you’re condemned just like the rest. I’ll help you where I can, but the trials you have to endure alone, I hope you know what you’re doing. Noctis is going to need you.” Cor reminded him, with a very minute curve of his lips, something akin to a smile perhaps, he continued. “So, will Ignis. For now, my responsibility is making sure you get back to them in one piece, whether you finish the trials or not. Got it?”

“Got it.” Gladio said, his sword resting over his shoulders. “Thanks... For coming with me.”

“It’s the least I could do. I owe it to your father.”

Silence was what greeted them at the entrance to the grounds. A deafening stillness that was far too quiet to be normal, torches were already lit along the winding path, whether they were lit because of them was another matter but unimportant in light of the impending danger. Gladio didn’t know what to expect but it certainly wasn’t reanimated corpses of those that failed, of course he didn’t expect it to be a walk in the park but there was something disconcerting about fighting the deceased. Though in a sense they weren’t so different to daemons. It would be unfortunate if Gladio himself were to become a new addition to the restless spirits.

With every step, the guilt and determination were at constant odds, battling for the final call that would decide Gladio’s fate. Or determine whether he survived. Every passing battle, be it a trial or encounters on their way forwards, proved more difficult than the last but there was undoubtedly something rewarding about it. The voice of Gilgamesh goading him onwards despite Cor’s warnings.

He was allowed a brief respite every now and then, to recover and rest, but more often than not Gladio would be staring at one of the pictures of Ignis Prompto had sent him, or re-reading their messages like the sap we is. If Cor noticed he didn’t comment on it, instead made small talk or simply enjoyed the silence.

At this point however, the temporary relief was almost literally the calm before the storm. With Cor’s guidance, Gladio had successfully completed the previous trials, now all that remains is the final battle with the first shield himself. Admittedly the battles prior hadn’t been an easy feat, far from it on his own, more than once Gladio found himself back on his feet by sheer will power alone, if he didn’t have people to go back to, it’s unlikely he’d have fought as hard as he had thus far.

The pair of them stood before the final doorway, if one could call it that, Cor itching to say something while Gladio waited for him to say it. It was only after he’d opened the passage, that Cor turned to Gladio, the barest hint of sadness and nostalgia in his eyes while his face remained stoic.

“You know… Clarus would have tried to stop you, just like he tried to stop me. Aspiring to be the King’s Shield entails you cannot stake your life for none other than you liege.” He paused as though pained by the memories. “He said ‘Do you dare risk all for naught in return?’ And I couldn’t part with those words. But despite it all he was right, I barely made it back alive with nothing but shame hanging over me.”

“So you gonna stop me?” Gladio questioned.

“No. You’re headstrong and stubborn as they come, it’d be a waste of time to try. I will warn you one last time though. The danger you’re about to face… It’s like nothing you’ve come across thus far. There’s no turning back- No-one to help you if you fall- Once you go through that door. Are you willing to risk everything?”

“I’ll be fine. Y’ never know, maybe I’ll come back with a souvenir.” He said with a small smile, cocky as it may be.

Cor watched as he strode forwards, the snot-nosed brat he trained all those years ago, now undertaking the final trial to prove his worth. Gladio had come far since he was a boy, with any luck, his hard work wouldn’t have gone to waste and he’ll return, victorious or not. To Cor, and to his friends, Gladio will always be Shield of the King, regardless of his shortcomings or mistakes. That’s what the Sword of the King is for, in Noct’s case, Ignis and Prompto, they’ll be there without fail to fill-in the Shield’s imperfections. After all, no-one is perfect.

“You coming back alive is enough… Be safe, Gladio.”

Gladio pressed on wards, driven by a need to repair his pride and prove he’s worthy of his title, not just for himself but for Noctis, Ignis, Prompto and Iris- Even for his father and Jared. He briefly wondered if the others were managing alright without him but then he remembered who they are, none of them would roll over and die, not without putting up a hell of a fight first.

At first, the room seemed too small to fight in, but that ended up being because that wasn’t where Gilgamesh was waiting. No, he was standing on a bridge of sorts, surrounded by old swords of- Assumed to be- Past challengers. He was tall, significantly so, Gladio himself was six-six and felt small in comparison. However, Gilgamesh seemed to be missing an arm, product of what must have been a brutal encounter so many years ago, there’d been no tales of a victor so the culprit must have perished.

“Brandishing your brute force I see. So young and naive.” He said, turning to face Gladio as he made his way forwards. “You can only delay the inevitable.”

The first shield didn’t look overly threatening but it would be unwise to underestimate such a foe, especially one that has yet to be bested in combat. Even so, the sword in his hand looked larger than Gladio himself, enough to make him weary if not a little overwhelmed, such a weapon could slice him in two with ease.

“Think you can take it?” Gladio growled, standing his ground despite the fight-or-flight instincts kicking in.

“I’ll make sure you pitiful life ends swiftly, unworthy one.”

Gladio had a split seconds notice to bring up his shield in defence, the clash of the sword against it loud, ringing in his ears even as he made to counter. The trials beforehand had bestowed a certain power unto him, his sword empowered with a light that would allow him to actually harm Gilgamesh. It was pure luck that cause his flimsy counter strike to hit its mark, slicing across his opponents exposed side with no shield or limb to stop it.

Gilgamesh remained unphased by the attack though. Striking in quick succession to break Gladio’s defence- He couldn’t hold up his shield forever and against such and unyielding onslaught it was near impossible.

With a startled grunt, Gladio’s shield disappeared in a flash of blue, his sword taking its place in a lacklustre attempt at blocking. Shielding himself against attacks continuously would only cause more damage, to both his weapons and himself, so rather than block the incoming strike, he parried it in hopes of creating an opening and it was a gruelling repetitive process in which he gained many injuries.

“With each passing second, your fear grows greater. Tell me, are you afraid of dying here?” Gilgamesh said mockingly.

Baring his teeth and swinging his sword, Gladio managed to get enough momentum to knock back Gilgamesh’s attack, creating the opening his needed to finish this. “I ain’t afraid of you, and I ain’t afraid of dying!” He roared, using the remaining momentum to deliver a crushing blow to the exposed flank, another to his unguarded side and a final strike- That was blocked by a newly formed spectral arm.

Where there had once been nothing but a stump, was now an arm that appeared much like Noct’s armiger, ethereal and ghost-like. Nevertheless, it meant Gilgamesh was no longer at a disadvantage.

“Interesting… You are strong, but so much fear is entwined with your heart, that the power you possess is wasted.” He said, tossing away his sword but in its place he summoned a larger blade, much like a katana in shape but a great sword in size, it was handled like a katana at any rate.

Gladio couldn’t help but breathe heavily, the exertion becoming too much to bear and with the promise of a continuously more aggressive battle ahead. “I ain’t done yet. I’ll prove I’m worthy, you just watch!”

With new power came new skills. Gilgamesh may have been fast and intimidating before but now… He was unreal. His movements were too fast for Gladio to track, acting on instinct alone when he managed to duck out of the way or block a flurry of attacks, even countering had become more of a chore what with Gilgamesh’s ability to phase through his blows. Unfortunately the one time Gladio thought he had a handle on the guy, was the one time his guard slipped. Thinking he’d found an opening, Gladio swung his sword only to have it parried, the momentarily agonising feeling of a new wound across his forehead signalled he’d been too careless. It was thanks to the adrenaline the pain had been numbed, for the time being.

It was then, he fought harder then he ever imagined possible. That slip up could have cost him more than a little cut, it’d scar for sure but it could have been much worse. Using his training to the full extent was exhausting, remembering countless manoeuvres he’d used against Cor and Ignis in sparring matches, Gladio had bombarded Gilgamesh with unpredictable assaults- When he wasn’t on the defensive that is.

Finally. At long last, Gladio brought Gilgamesh to his knees. It was a deep and precise slash across the chest that did it, having exploited a momentary lapse in his defence. Panting and tired Gladio stood before the fallen shield, “I kneel before no man,” Tentatively, he touched the cut on his forehead and the one across his chest, huffing at the dried blood. “Not exactly the souvenir I had in mind. You weren’t wrong. I am afraid, that maybe I ain’t cut out for this- Being a King’s Shield, but I’m gonna protect my King the only way I know how. So I’d better get going.”

Gilgamesh rose to his feet when Gladio turned away. “Spoken like a true Shield of the King. One who does not gaze at their faults cannot be a true Shield for none but himself but you- You accepted who you are, your inner self- For that, you are worthy.” Gladio couldn’t help but turn to listen, weary of course but attentive nonetheless. “The Chosen King is fortunate to have a man such as yourself by his side.” Orange eyes settled on him, Gladio could scarcely believe what he was hearing.

“You mean to say…?” He began, trailing off in disbelief.

Hesitantly, Gilgamesh looked at his sword, extending it to Gladio in an invitation to take it. “With this glaive, I entrust my power to you.” Noticing Gladio’s surprise at seeing the crest resting upon the blade, he opted to explain. “Taken from a young man that impressed me with his willpower, it was with that very blade he took my arm from me.”

Gladio was reluctant to accept such a blade, knowing now whom it previously belonged to. But Gilgamesh insisted, he spoke choice words of motivation in Gladio’s stead, watching the young man leave wordlessly.

On the outside, Cor was still awaiting, anxiously by the looks of it but that disappeared immediately when he caught sight of Gladio. In fact, a brief wave of relief washed over him, thankful that Gladio had survived and that he wouldn’t have to deliver bad news to the others.

“You’re back. I’m impressed you got out so quickly.” He said, any trace of anxiety diminished now.

Gladio held out the blade he’d received with a soft smile. “Brought this back too. Figured you might want it.”

Cor stepped forwards, studying the blade for a moment as if reliving the time he lost it. “I did wonder where I put that.” He said, glancing at Gladio’s wounds and grimacing a little, not so much it was noticeable. “It’ll make for a better souvenir than those scars, so keep it.”

\-----------

In time, Gladio returned to Lestallum, hearing Holly needed a hand with a daemon problem, Cor had gone ahead to Caem in favour of catching up with the others and checking on repairs. Funnily enough, Holly had enlisted another hunter for the job and told him to wait, the hunter sounded an awful lot like Noct. If his droning wasn’t a give away, the warping certainly was. So either he hadn’t known or noticed Gladio was his partner at the moment, or he didn’t care, or perhaps he was entertaining the little charade as much as his shield.

Prompto’s excited voice was something he’d actually come to miss, unlikely as it sounded.

“Look who it is! Welcome back big guy! Whoa- Someone really did a number on you-” He exclaimed, eyeing the scars with a worried glance.

Gladio just grinned. “Should see the other guy.” Ignis was also looking at said scars but his expression remained unreadable, he was likely pissed and had every right to be but Gladio wanted to do nothing more than scoop him up and smother him with hugs and kisses. Again, he was a big sap at heart and despite the protests, Ignis loved him for it.

“So we’ve got the metal, back to Caem?” Noct asked, eager to get moving by the sounds of it.

“Indeed. Unless you feel you ought to rest before we depart, Gladio?” Ignis didn’t make eye contact with him, a telltale sign his wasn’t impressed but he looked relaxed with was a good sign. Right?

“Nah. Let’s go, I'll take a nap in the car.”

And nap he did. He could’ve given Noctis a run for his money, Ignis had to resort to creative means to wake him up and even then it wasn’t easy. It beat sleeping on the floor next to Cor or by himself though, the car was comfy, he had the others close by and it was warm. Although, it was clear he needed to apologise for not announcing the reason for his departure, more so to Ignis than Prompto, since Noct already knew he was leaving for personal issues. It was more than likely they ask about it at camp or something.

Then it dawned on him. They were leaving for Altissia now. The boat was repaired, they made it to Caem and were in the home stretch. There’d be no more camping. No more stupid, silly bickering and banter. No more ridiculous pun offs- Namely Ignis’ doing but they readily joined in.

A little ways in front, the other three were smiling- Laughing at something- and it hurt to know that soon enough Noct would be married. He’d really be King, he’d have a wife. Gladio and Ignis would be ever at his side more officially than ever, Prompto… Would do what he wanted, stay and be part of the guard or go off and do as he pleased. After Altissia, their main concern was taking down the Empire.

Regardless of that, Gladio could escape the feeling something was coming, something dreadful. What it was or when it would happen he didn’t know but… It was unsettling. He’d just have to be ready to protect the others for when it did happen, it’s what he trained for after all, perhaps to protect his King but that also meant his friends. Noct would always come first but by association alone, Prompto and Ignis weren’t exempt from his promise, Noct would hate him if he let them get hurt, oath or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was not listening to the Kingsglaive soundtrack while writing the end of this... Anyways. Sorry it's a little Gladio centric in this one but it's a given since this is where he buggers off and I wanted to follow him rather than the other three, even thought his DLC bored the hell outta me (I'm just salty cause he's the only character I suck at playing as). 
> 
> I hope I got enough feels and foreboding in here but even so, the next chapter is where shit happens so we'll see. I can't write combat scenes as you can see but it wasn't bad for a first. I'm aiming to have the next chapter be the last for this story but I don't want to rush things or draw things out too long, we'll see when I finish it if I'll split it or save it for the beginning of the next story.
> 
> So anyway, thank you for reading! I hope it wasn't a bore, I've had to study for an exam so my motivation just plummeted until tonight haha...


	10. Chapter ten - Part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is longer than most other chapters so I'm splitting it into two or three parts, depends how much the next part comes to. I plan to upload part two by Tuesday, plans change but that's that. Sorry for the late upload, it took a while to write this with life getting in the way, but here you go! Unbeta'd by the way, so there's mistakes in there somewhere... Sorry.

Cid was the designated driver this time around, since none of them knew how to drive a boat due to their city upbringing, not to mention the lack of worldly endeavours before now. Needless to say though, it was nice to sit back and relax even for a fleeting moment. The calming sea breeze and lovely scenery certainly made for a memorable experience. Even if Prompto looked like he was ready to throw up, poor kid was slightly sea-sick, it happens to the best of them. At least he was happy with the pictures he snapped every now and then, especially the ones of the entryway into Altissia, even Ignis agreed they were exquisite shots.

Actually arriving was interesting, there were more precautions than expected, travel permits and immigration control to name a couple, but given current events it was understandable. Ignis and Cid took care of excuses and permits where necessary in Noct’s stead, the guy couldn’t lie if his life depended on it and thankfully he never had to with Ignis around. The times the pair snuck out of the Citadel and were caught, Ignis took the fall and perfected his lying, unless it was Gladio that caught them, then they were both screwed. Although, there was a time Noct did manage to lie, when he took the fall for Iris’ incident, said lie actually made Gladio like him. After Iris explained that is.

At the moment, they were holed up in the Leville for some R ‘n’ R after the long boat ride. They’d need to venture out in a while to find Weskham, he was their main contact in Altissia and accompanied Regis on his journey years prior, if anyone could answer their questions it was him. Prompto and Noct settled on the chairs in the middle of the room, Gladio and Ignis on one of the beds, sitting apart and in silence, whereas the younger two were engrossed in a game of Kings Knight.

“So, where’d you find the mythril to fix this in the end?” He asked, in dire need of some sort of conversation and attempting to keep Ignis awake. The man kept dozing off every few minutes and while Gladio may have found it cute, it wasn’t the time to say such things.

“Ah. Steyliff Grove as it happens, Aranea aided us in your stead.” Ignis replied, crossing his arms over his chest and staring Gladio right in the eyes, it almost looked like a challenge. “I presume your endeavours with the Marshal were as fruitful as ours?”

The first thought that ran through Gladio’s head was; Shit. And with good reason, he’d never openly said where he was or who he was with. “Yeah… I mean, I got a new sword and a couple cool scars out of it, if that’s what you mean.”

“Indeed.”

“You’re pissed at me aren’t you?” Gladio questioned. As if Ignis expression wasn’t enough clarification. “C’mon Iggy, I’m back aren’t I?”

“That isn’t the point. You didn’t even mention where you were going or how long you’d be, nor did you feel the need to say goodbye. I feel I have every right to be angry with you.” Ignis averted his gaze back to the window, tension practically radiating off him and Gladio remained silent. “What if you hadn’t returned? We’d never have known until someone found you, or the Marshal reappeared as the bearer of bad news. Perhaps not even then and where would we be? I cannot take over your duties on top of my own, so without you, we would have no choice but to postpone the journey.”

The shield shifted nervously, eyes fixed on Ignis as if staring would change the fact he was right. “You guys did fine without me. Iggy I had to go, I needed to… Well- I had to go, that’s all. I came back in one piece didn’t I?” He began, scooting closer to the other timidly at first but dared to go as far as sitting right beside him. “I promised I’d keep it together and that’s what it took, I swore an oath to Noct and I made a promise to you, I fought so I could come back better than ever.”

“At least tell me what you were doing all that time…”

Gladio sighed and turned Ignis’ head towards him, while Ignis was certainly a pretty guy, the back of his head isn’t as nice as his face. “I took a couple of hunts, easy stuff y’know, and… Proved my worth.” 

Ignis’ expression changed from indifferent to defeated, uncrossing his arms, too. “You needn’t prove your worth to anyone but yourself. We know you, Prompto and I are more than enough to fill in your shortcomings, little as they may be. Even so, I’m glad you’re alright, you’ve no idea how frustrating it’s been taking care of the children on my own.” He said with a smile.

“I can guess. How’d you get to be such a silver-tongue, huh? I thought I was the smooth talker.” Gladio couldn’t help but grin, seeing Ignis smile and having the reassurance he needed that he was enough, he already knew it but having someone actually tell him was another kind of relief.

“You forget I’ve had to converse with people of various social status’, smooth talking is in the job description. I still haven’t forgiven you by the way, you need to earn that I’m afraid.”

Gladio hummed in thought, a mischievous smile forming as he thought about ways to ‘earn forgiveness’. “How ‘bout I start with these?” He said, pulling a packet of sweets from his jacket pocket. Ignis actually looked surprised, wide eyed and curious but took them nonetheless, Gladio couldn’t stop his laughter until Noct glared at him over the back of his seat. Exploiting Ignis’ weakness for sweets and Ebony was a low blow but it certainly worked in his favour most of the time.

“Ew. Get a room.” Noct grumbled, sinking back into his seat. “Prom! Mom and Dad are being gross!”

“Shut it Princess, you’re the one getting hitched soon.”

“Hey!” Noct exclaimed, sitting up abruptly and staring at Gladio accusingly. “If one of you would man up it wouldn’t just be me! Besides, you’ve pretty much been married for ages so I say it counts.”

“Noctis. Need I remind you how marriage works? Not to mention the never-ending list of priorities before that.” Ignis stated, forcing Noct to submit, Gladio pulling face at him but smiling innocently when Ignis glanced at him. “Speaking of which… I imagine we should discuss the upcoming days. Now, provided Lady Lunafreya is still in Altissia, we should expect to encounter the Hydrean at some point and then is the matter of your wedding, should everything go according to plan.”

“Guess so. Weskham should be able to tell us more, I say we go see him in a bit, just… After this game.” Noct threw a pillow at Prompto, hitting him in the face and effectively knocking the phone from his hands, coincidentally winning the round. “By the way- I still say you guys are technically married, I’m King so you can’t overrule me.”

Ignis bit back a sarcastic remark, simply rolling his eyes and pushing his glasses back where they belong. Gladio on the other hand couldn’t stifle his laughter, grunting but still chuckling when Ignis elbowed him in the ribs with ‘the look’. Said ‘look’ pretty much told Gladio not to encourage him, lest they never hear the end of it, besides, Noctis is ever so forgetful and would likely forget about the entire conversation by tomorrow.

“Right, let’s go, before we get too comfy and fall asleep.” Gladio suggested, rising to his feet, Prompto unceremoniously followed suit and hauled Noct up as well, Ignis seeing no other option than to oblige. Despite their reluctance to leave the hotel, it wasn’t a terrible idea. The weather improved, warm and bright compared to the overshadowing clouds they spied earlier on their venture. All the better reason to explore while they had the chance, exhausted or not. Besides the child-like wonderment at the sights- albeit astonishing in their own rights- the group did have an agenda to get through first.

The gondolas were certainly one of the highlights of their little adventure, able to admire the clear waters and the stark differences between Lucis and Altissia. The architecture for one differed greatly, though the change was welcomed, where Insomnia was modern and elegant from the streets to the winding roads; Altissia held a certain charm that the Crown City would never quite possess, roads being almost non-existent in favour of appropriate boating. Altissia truly lived up to its name and reputation. On another note, the cuisine differed immensely from Lucis, passing the cafes and restaurants only piqued Ignis curiosity, given he had studied and read about various dishes from this region before. If the seemingly endless note-taking was any indication, the boys were in for a new menu soon. At least, if there’s time.

Time is never on their side.

Weskham owned a small establishment on the water called Maagho, easily reachable by gondola as it were, highly likely to have been a carefully thought out placement. Maagho was quite a quaint little place, Prompto certainly thought it was a great photo spot at any rate. So, while Noctis picked Weskham's brain on this-that-and-the-other, the others listened in while they went about their exploration. Prompto snapping away here and there, Gladio inspecting the menu selection and Ignis inspected the goods from the vendors.

Needless to say a finely dressed, authoritative figure enticed them all into regrouping. Weskham introduced her as Camelia Claustra, to which Ignis enlightened them on her occupation as First Secretary of Accordo. Noct looked mildly crushed at having to deal with another politician but made no clear visible signs.

“Gentlemen I won’t waste your time. You should know we have Lady Lunafreya in our care, however, the Empire demands we surrender her. Even so, I’m loath to do so for we wouldn’t profit from it. Therefore, I’ve come to discuss terms with the King of Lucis.” She said, leaving little room for negotiation by the sounds of it. As First Secretary it’s understandable she’d know what she wants and how to benefit from it. “With that in mind, should you desire to talk, come to my estate.”

Noct didn’t even get a chance at a reply before she returned from whence she came, followed by her escorts- Guards? Instead he looked to Weskham upon hearing the man chuckle a little.

“She means well, sure she can be overbearing but her heart is in the right place. You boys best get some rest, stop by again if you’ve got any questions or just need a bite to eat, you’re always welcome.” Weskham insisted, Noct nodded in thanks with a polite type of smile of his own. With no further questions and now knowing what to do next, the boys returned to the Leville, not without sampling some of the exquisite seafood first though. It was indeed as amazing as rumoured, rivalling even Ignis’ cooking skills- Gladio earned himself a glare or two after commenting on it, better him than Noct or Prompto. Kids don’t know how to be subtle in the slightest.

“So… Are we gonna go straight to see the secretary tomorrow?” Prompto inquired, gaze firmly set on the setting sun. The vibrant colours certainly reflected off the water nicely, casting a golden glow on the floating bar.

“I guess...? What else can we do?” Noct replied, casting a passing glance at Ignis for his sage words of advice.

“The sooner negotiations are handled, the sooner our business here is concluded. Not to mention the imposing threat from the Empire, I imagine Lady Claustra is eager to come to some agreement, be it with Noctis or the Empire.”

“Yeah but… Can’t we like- Have a day off? Y’know, to chillax and do stuff that ain’t so… What’s the word…” Prompto began, his argument slowing dying with his lack of persuasion though the others remained amenable. “I dunno! We’ve come so far and done so much it’s only fair. Y’know? We ain’t had a day to ourselves since home.”

Gladio groaned, stretching as he recalled the last ‘free day’. “I agree with blondie for once. The world ain’t gonna go to shit ‘cause we take a day off.”

“How about a compromise? Rather than the day, tonight should suffice, it isn’t as though there’ll be a lack of entertainment in a bustling city, the night life certainly seems to rival even Lestallum.” Ignis retorted, stoic as ever but it was good enough for Prompto. Gladio just stared as he hauled Noct to his feet, dragging their King off in search of… Whatever he wanted to find so badly.

He turned to Ignis, trying to hide his amusement. “Looks like Prompto liked the compromise.”

“I think he wanted an excuse to drive himself into a sugar coma, in turn, dragging Noctis down with him. Admirable really. If only it worked the same with vegetables, life would have been a little easier.” He said, a smile tugging at his lips, hidden by sheer willpower.

“You love the challenge, besides, I’ve never seen you so creative. C’mon,” Gladio said, clapping a hand on Ignis’ shoulder and standing. “If they get to run off then so do we.”

“But-” Ignis started. He fell silent when Gladio put a finger to his lips.

“No buts. If they ain’t gonna act like King and… King’s best friend. Then we ain’t acting like Shield and Adviser, got it? They’ve got our numbers if they need us and a key to the room. So, turn off that brain of yours and have some fun.”

Ignis grimaced and sighed heavily, shoulders slumping in defeat, trailing along after Gladio with some reluctance, internally wishing the ground would open and swallow him whole. “I don’t suppose you have a plan do you? After all, we visited many of the sights earlier on.”

The Shield didn’t reply but grabbed Ignis’ hand, dragging him along as he moved into a run through the streets, barrelling through crowds and skidding around corners. Ignis- Holding Gladio’s hand for dear life- Was hit with a strange nostalgia all of a sudden. The last time they ran around like this was when they’d been children, Gladio had convinced Ignis to sneak out with him- Playing the guilt card as it happens. Back then they’d simply been escaping a scolding, perhaps a lecture or two but now… They may as well have been running from everything. Their duties, responsibilities, the Empire and even time.

Their immediate journey may have almost come to an end but the road ahead was long and winding. Similar to the streets of Altissia, crossing this way and that, winding here, a dead end there… Thinking like that put things into perspective. They’d face many dead ends in life but there'll always be another way, one just had to look hard enough.

Eventually Gladio slowed to a stop in a secluded part of the city, a pier of sorts but it was far quieter than the rest of the city. If it weren’t for the buildings it may as well have been an entirely different country. Here, the designs were simple and minimalistic, a stark contrast to the main populated areas but there was a certain soothing feeling to it, being somewhere so tranquil in such a busy city. From here, the sky shrouded the area in a soft orange, the hues painting the sky overhead reflected in the water to make it seem surreal, dim light bouncing off the windows and lamps.

“Spied this place from the piazza earlier, thought you’d appreciate the peace a little.” Gladio said with a proud grin and slung an arm over Ignis’ shoulders after releasing his hand.

“For once you assumed correct, the peace is a nice change. Gladio…” Ignis trailed off, contemplating his next words carefully, frowning at the ground as he did so. He spared a look up at his partner, met with a curious but equally concerned expression. “Actually… Never mind.”

Gladio didn’t miss the way Ignis’ gaze flicked from his face to the scar on his chest, while his face betrayed nothing, in his eyes laid a mixture of emotions, something not even Ignis can hide despite his tries. It’s how Gladio always knew how he was feeling, the man had the perfect poker face but overly expressive eyes, a stunning shade of green and in this light one could see the little flecks of blue. 

Ignoring the tenderness of his scar, Gladio drew Ignis into a tight embrace, something he’d been deprived of long enough. Gloved hands snuck their way round his waist, gripping onto the back of his jacket as though he’d disappear. In a sorry attempt at quieting Ignis’ mind, Gladio pressed a kiss to the top of his head, carding his fingers through the tawny locks, careful not to completely destroy the style. Whatever was bothering the Adviser didn’t seem like a new found worry, it’d been nagging away at him for sometime if he’d become this pliant. Ignis never allowed public displays of affection, now more than ever due to circumstance. That in itself proved enough cause for concern.

“Iggy… What’s up?” Gladio asked, breaking the veil of silence. “And don’t gimme that bullshit again about how nothin’s wrong, I know you and you don’t even let me touch you in public.” In his arms, Ignis tensed up at the question, burying his face in Gladio’s chest with little regard for his carefully styled hair or potential onlookers. “I suppose... I fear as though something terrible is going to happen but... There’s nothing I can do to stop it. Whatever’s coming… We’ll be powerless against it and it terrifies me.”

“We’ll be fine. C’mon Iggy, have a little more faith in us will ya? You believe in me so you gotta believe in all of us. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“You know full well the worst case scenario. Don’t you feel it? There is something very wrong here and I don’t know what to do about it- I don’t know if there’s anything I can do.” Ignis muttered, a little muffled from where he was cocooned in Gladio’s arms.

With a sigh Gladio thought about how he could cease Ignis’ worries, he wasn’t an expert of course but even if they could be temporarily dispersed… It’d be something. “Y’know… You think too much. I reckon it’s all that Ebony you drink, it’s makin’ you paranoid, I gotta cut off your supply?”

Almost instantly Ignis peered up at him from behind his glasses, his displeasure hidden behind a comical facade. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“You’re right, I wouldn’t.” Gladio laughed, ruffling Ignis’ hair and releasing him. “C’mon, I bet I can take your mind off it, even if it’s just for tonight.”

“I’m going to hold you to that. Perhaps you can even persuade me to forgive your earlier disappearance.”

\------------------

The following day Noct had come to an arrangement with the First Lady, Ignis' lessons and pointers actually bore fruit, the hours of painful lectures and note-taking weren't a complete waste after all. It'd been decided that in exchange for permission to forge the covenant and Luna being passed onto them, three of them would need to assist in the civilian evacuation efforts. It wasn't up for debate who it'd be, Noctis was the one needed for the rite. It meant leaving their King mostly unprotected however, but it’s a price Noctis agreed to and his retainers would have to honour that.

Not only that, the covenant would be forged the following day, leaving the group a whole day to prepare given the enemy was relatively unknown. It fell to Ignis to come up with a suitable plan of action, even if it served as mere guidelines since he couldn’t account for circumstances or situations he wouldn’t personally be in, yet it was his job to do so and he wasn’t a man to half-ass things.

In the meantime, Noct told tales of his early childhood to Prompto, namely where Lunafreya was involved since the gunslinger seemed so anxious to meet her but he wouldn’t explicitly say why. Then again, many of Prompto’s intentions were never very clear until he’d done the deed. Unless it included a woman of some description. Gladio peered over Ignis shoulder from time to time, curious as to what tactics he was dreaming up and with Noctis otherwise occupied, they’d likely need to have a good look at them by tomorrow. If the evacuation failed, they’d be held accountable for countless lives and the bulk of the blame would land on Noct. Something none of them are prepared to allow so long as they serve him.

Somehow, Ignis had acquired a map of Altissia and began marking out the various areas, colour coding the various routes in order of the level of danger. Mostly for the benefit of civilians. It went without saying that the three of them would have to split up to cover ground, they wouldn’t be alone of course, Altissia had it’s security measures which would in turn make the entire process a little easier.

Gladio rested his chin on Ignis shoulder, scanning the marked up map with interest, in silent agreement with the placing of markers and area assignments. “Hey, Prompto, get over here, this concerns you.” He said, tilting his head towards the table.

“‘Kay!” Prompto soon took a seat on the opposite side of the table, clearly waiting for some explanation of the map that he could understand.

“Prompto, you see the yellow markers and lines, they are where you’re going to be. Taking a small area each is the most efficient way to do this fast and with relative ease, assuming all goes well and with minimal Empire interference.” Ignis explained, gesturing to the residential area marked in yellow, it wasn’t actually a large area but should he be done ahead of schedule he can assist elsewhere.

“Gotcha, so I gotta get everyone to these boats?”

“Precisely. And should you find yourself free, don’t hesitate to find someone that could use your assistance.” Ignis then glanced over his shoulder at Gladio, the other’s attentive eyes fixed on the map. “I doubt I need to give you the same explanation. Questions?”

“Uh- Yeah… What’re we gonna do when everyone's safe?” Gladio asked, gaze firmly set on the altar where Noct would be.

“We direct our efforts to help Noctis and Lady Lunafreya. However, should the need arise and Noctis require our immediate attention, we should promptly respond. Our first priority will always be the safety of our King.”

Gladio and Prompto simply nodded in agreement, falling back into silence as they memorised their given sector, the plans would likely be passed on to the guard later on for them to familiarise themselves, too.

The planning process took a little longer than they thought, but it was better to be fully prepared than clueless in the midst of a battle. By the time Ignis had made any alterations to the map it was long past noon, Gladio kindly offered to grab lunch and coffee when the time came, the food wasn’t exactly healthy, much to Ignis’ chagrin but now wasn’t the time for pettiness. At least they were afforded the luxury of a kitchenette where he could create something decent for dinner.

In preparation for tomorrow, Ignis also took the liberty of acquiring ear pieces, for the sake of swift and easy communication of course. The less mishaps they encounter, the better.  
“Hey Iggy, you pull a muscle yesterday?” Prompto asked, eyeing the way Ignis limped ever so slightly.

Said man shot a glare over his shoulder at Gladio, a warning of sorts, turning his attention back to Prompto with a wry smile. “It’s no cause for concern I assure you.”

Gladio crept into the kitchen, shoulders shaking as he tried to stifle his laughter. Prompto and Noct looked less than convinced but equally as amused, though they didn’t press the matter and left Ignis to stir in his embarrassment. It could have been worse, so much worse. But rather than mull over it, he set about preparing dinner, kicking Gladio out of the kitchen in the process. Almost literally.

“Anyways… We gonna hit the sack early? Y’know, big day an’ all tomorrow.” Said Prompto, kicking his shoes off and raping his legs over the arm of the chair.

“It would be wise. Unless any of you have objections to it?”

“Nah. The more sleep the better, I say. Gladio?” Noct drawled.

Gladio mumbled something resembling a ‘no’, clearly engrossed in whatever novel he was reading now.

A wave of relief washed over the adviser, not having to argue bedtimes for once. “Then I propose after dinner, everyone showers and is in bed by ten.”

Ten was much too hopeful. At half past eleven Ignis managed to coax Prompto into bed, Noct sprawled across it already, he didn’t stir after being shoved to one side though. Gladio still reading his book on the second bed, in a towel rather than clothes at this point but thankfully for Ignis, he left enough space for him to crawl into bed. By midnight he’d called it a night, reaching over Ignis to put his book on the bedside table.

The towel ended up being tossed to the floor with no replacement other than the blanket. Ordinarily, Ignis would have thoroughly enjoyed having a warm naked body beside him, in more ways than one, currently however the comfort that came with it was truly appreciated what with Gladio being a human teddy bear. The light pressure of being embraced was grounding more than anything, wrenching Ignis out of his endless thoughts.

“Gonna turn your brain off and get some sleep tonight?” Gladio said, his voice low in Ignis’ ear.

Ignis shuffled round in his arms, now facing Gladio who looked at him with the same expression he gave Iris when she rebelled against sleep. “In my defence, last night was your doing and I need to ensure we’re prepared for every eventuality, thinking like this is my job.”

“Ain’t in the job description to lose sleep over stuff you already thought about. Three times.” Came a gruff reply. “C’mon Iggy, go to sleep, we don’t need you exhausted tomorrow. I can’t protect Blondie and Princess on my own y’know.” He plucked Ignis’ glasses off and set them on top of his book, not missing the frown as he did so.

“You seem to forget coffee exists.” Ignis said, tone laced with sarcasm.

“Iggy. I love you, but I’ll knock you out if it gets you to sleep.”

“You weren’t complaining yesterday. In fact, I dare say you-” He began, cut off by Gladio clapping a hand over his mouth and kissing the tip of Ignis’ nose.

“I get it. You want a kiss goodnight? That what you want?” Ignis narrowed his eyes, still frowning and made no move to agree or disagree. Instead letting Gladio decide, not admitting to how tired he really was. So Gladio removed his hand to be greeted with a devious smile- and perhaps a little dopey looking. “Cute, real cute, Iggy.” He laughed, making up his mind and placing a chaste but sweet kiss to his lips. With enough luck and a bit of hair-stroking, Ignis would finally fall asleep and Gladio wouldn’t be far behind.

\-------------------

If only they’d been prepared for the absolute worst.

The evacuation efforts went well, for the most part, the Empire had little to no effect on it aside from scaring the civilians.

Now, the three royal retainers were in search of a fast route to the altar. Noctis having successfully defeated the Hydrean, but in turn, suffering immense fatigue. Visibility was poor and so none but the Oracle know the extent of Noct’s injuries but, there was hope they were minimal. Unfortunately, in Noct’s state Titan appeared to defend him, causing more harm than good as it were. Imperial drop ships were hurled this way and that, crashing carelessly wherever they may land and troopers moved in to secure the way to the altar as well as the remains of the city.

“I can’t tell a damn thing from here. We need to move, now!” Ignis stressed, looking around for the fastest route. Their King needed them and there was little time to waste. 

Gladio turned just in time to spot an incoming drop ship, headed straight towards them. He yanked Prompto back by the scruff of his jacket, reaching for Ignis but consequently toppling backwards just as the ship struck the bridge. The instant he could regain his balance, he was on his feet, frantically searching for the adviser or anything that ensured he got to the other side safely.

“Iggy!” He shouted, peering over the edge into the river below, eyes darting around for… Something. “Fucks sake... Prompto, let’s go!” With a growl of reluctance, Gladio tore himself away from his search, sprinting back the way they came for another way round.

Prompto tugged on his jacket until they stopped short of a second bridge. “Aren’t we gonna find him?! We can’t just leave him! What if-”

“I know! Okay? Iggy’s not stupid and if he’s alive, he’ll go to Noct, so should we.” Gladio cut in, a bit too aggressively maybe. He cast a glance back to the rubble that was a bridge and shook his head with a scowl. “I don’t wanna chance it either but we’ve gotta make sure Noct’s okay first. Iggy’d kick our asses if we chose him over Noct.”

“‘Kay… I guess you’re right…” Came a quiet reply, gaze downcast and head hung, Prompto pursed his lips before trudging on wards.

“Hey- He’ll be fine, have a little faith in him, yeah? He can check in on the ear pieces, remember? Noct’ll be fine, too- And Lunafreya. You’ll see.”

Prompto nodded shakily but held firm and kept his eyes forward. Gladio couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in his gut the moment that ship hit the bridge, he’d have to convince himself that Ignis would be fine, that he’d meet them at the altar or somewhere in between in one piece. Tell himself that they’d all go back to the hotel or something, Noct’ll be with Lunafreya, Prompto’ll be snapping away and firing questions at her, Ignis’ll be quietly observing- Or cooking up something for dinner, and Gladio well, he’d be basking in the relief of a job well done and a weight lifted off his shoulders.

When Ignis eventually checked-in, Gladio’s heart started beating again and he could breathe normally. He was alive and just as suspected, headed to Noct. He didn’t talk too much though, so he must have encountered some MT’s on his travels. Or worse. It was no secret that Ravus and Ardyn had come to Altissia as well, that was a recipe for disaster in itself. Gladio had to hold on to the hope that they wouldn’t have a run-in with either of them, if the way Ravus threw Gladio on his ass was any indication then none of them were a match for him, and that excludes Ardyn’s interference.

In the heat of the moment, Gladio had scribbled out a letter to Ignis, apologising for shouting at him over the radio and expressing just how relieved he was to hear his voice. Although, while he and Prompto were scurrying around the streets, Ignis was traversing the roof tops with some makeshift grapple hook. It just goes to show that being a nerd has its perks. Occasionally they’d heard an explosion, too far away to be Titan’s doing so it indicated just where Ignis was at that time.

Gladio couldn’t help but worry. He knew how well-trained Ignis was, how much damage the man could take and more importantly how much he could give in return, but it didn’t stop to crippling anxiety that threatened to overwhelm him with every passing second. So many ‘What if’s’ whizzing around in his head as he fought and ran, so many it was starting to make the world spin and nausea set in with a vengeance

After what felt like an eternity, Prompto dragged him over to the piazza, a mess of MT parts and Magitek Armour lay scattered around the once beautiful scene. “Hey! Over here! Ain’t this who we were after in Old Lestallum?” Prompto enquired, kneeled beside the body of an Imperial, an official or sorts judging by his attire and the armour.

“Yeah… I think so. Think it was Iggy or…?” Gladio observed the wounds on the body, noting the cause of death had to be the clean pierce and the strike across the chest. “Nah, if it were, I bet this guy’d be a hedgehog, roasted or frozen.”

“Then… Who was it?”

Gladio stepped back for a moment, scanning the rest of the piazza. There were certainly scorch marks on the floor and decorating the walls, a bit of frosty MT scraps, too. But then there were also countless parts that were cleanly cut through, much like the Imperial Official. That was when Gladio could conclude who the mystery assailant was.

“Ravus. Luna’s brother.” He declared. Brow furrowed in both confusion and frustration.

“Wait- That guy? He helped Iggy?” Prompto squeaked, obviously as nervous as Gladio felt about it. “How do we know he didn’t like- Y’know…”

“‘Cause I doubt he’d kill his own subordinate and help one of Noct’s retainers, not if he was still loyal to the Empire. C’mon, they can’t be far ahead.” As if to punctuate that, another explosion erupted from close by. Gladio didn’t waste another second in racing towards the walkway.

A similar scene greeted them by the sea, the only place Ravus and Ignis could have gone, there were no more bridges or walkways, no paths that lead elsewhere. That meant somehow they’d reached the other side, especially if the view was anything to go by. In the distance, not far enough that it was out of sight but not close enough to see clearly, stood Ignis and Ravus. However, Ravus didn’t remain standing, he collapsed to his knees, slumped over someone. Someone whose spirit shone as bright as the stars.

“Prompto, see any way to get over there?” Gladio asked, eyes fixed on the altar, afraid if he looked away for a moment, something would happen.

“Uh- I- Wait! There’s a walkway just above sea-level! Y’see?” Prompto pointed to the ledge that ran behind the buildings and just above the sea, the waves barely hit the surface of it but it was in no way safe. “C’mon! What’re you waiting for!?”

Prompto was already shimmying across as fast as he dared, slipping wasn’t an option, not now. Gladio soon followed suit, praying that they’d make it before something should befall Noct or Ignis. As the scene unfolded, Gladio wished he could just leap over there, wished he could warp over and protect what’s his.

The pair gradually made progress, Gladio’s heart thumping in his chest, threatening to burst free as he could do naught but watch Ignis do what Gladio was born for. He was protecting his King. Ravus must have tried to harm Noct, since he was currently crossing blades with Ignis and losing by the looks of it. It actually stung his pride to see how well Ignis was holding his own against Ravus, since Gladio didn’t stand a chance despite being ninety percent muscle and built to be a fighter, he felt the pangs of inferiority drumming away in his mind and sling his ego. That isn’t to say he’s angry, far from it actually, he’s proud. Proud he was one of the people to make Ignis into the exemplary fighter he is and just plain old proud of the man.

Together, they truly were Sword and Shield.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. In this case, it came in the form of Gladio, an impostor and only seen as such by the real Gladio and Prompto. The latter actually whimpered a little upon seeing him, Ardyn, waltzing over to Ignis and the heap that is Ravus. They were so close and yet so far. From here, they could clearly see the events unfolding before their eyes, powerless to do anything about it.

Now Gladio regrets calling Ignis paranoid. He tried swallowing the lump in his throat and controlling the unsettling lurch of his stomach as he watched Ignis shoved to the floor, Ravus being hurled backwards by what can only be described as dark magic. Daemonic if you will. He could almost hear the shattering on Ignis’ glasses as Ardyn practically stepped on his, as though he were nothing more than a bug under his boot. Essentially that’s what all of them were to that man, in one way or another. Judging by the way Ignis shouted Noct’s name, Ardyn wasn’t playing nice at all. What Gladio didn’t account for was Ardyn- Well, the MT’s- Dragging an unconscious Ignis onto a drop ship. Leaving the rest of the stranded there, Gladio running as fast as his legs could carry him, screaming Ignis’ name as soon as he and Prompto were able to reach the altar.

There had to be a perfectly good reason as to why they stole Ignis from them, rather than take the Chosen King himself, as he lay unconscious on the soaked tiles. Gladio dropped to his knees beside Noct, checking his King was still breathing and the extent of any injuries, thankful to find he sustained none but merely pushed himself to the brink.

“Stay here, watch Noct. Try to get him to wake up if you can.” Gladio instructed, storming over to where Ravus lay against the steps, barely aware of the shield’s presence by the looks of it. Bidding his hands to stop shaking, Gladio grabbed the front of Ravus’ coat and hauled him to his feet. “Where’d they go?”

“Where do… You think?” Ravus snapped, his voice lacked the bite though. “To Gralea.”

“‘Kay, why take him? Why not just take the King? Better yet, why didn’t that bastard kill Noct when he had the chance?”

“You fool. Ardyn was toying with you all from the beginning. He will not kill Noctis while he is not the True King, in title perhaps but he lacks the strength.” Ravus paused for a moment, wincing slightly when Gladio tightened his grip, and then continued. “Taking the boy to Gralea, to the Crystal, ensures Noctis will follow to save his friend. I cannot say what he intends to do with him while he waits.”

Gladio released Ravus, standing there blankly as he let the information sink in. There was a chance Ignis would die, and he wouldn’t be there to save him, none of them would. He’d die alone. “How do we get there?” He growled, glaring at the other fiercely.

“I can take you. While I do not consider Noctis my King… The boy, the adviser, has earned my respect. We must move quickly, rouse Noctis, I will await you in the piazza. I’m afraid if we dally much longer, the boy’s fate will be set.”

“Ignis.” Gladio said, noting Ravus’ confusion he continued. “His name is Ignis.”


	11. Chapter ten - Part two

_Promise me you won't do anything stupid, don't ask why, I just want you to swear._

It was a promise Ignis couldn't keep. Back then, things had been considerably simpler. Back then, he hadn't the faintest idea of the impending danger they were to face, nor the reckless decisions he himself would make. Reckless, perhaps, would be an understatement, a grave but necessary mistake in judgement.

Once, long ago, Ignis made a vow to protect Noctis, to stand by him not as a servant but as a brother. What kind of brother would he be if he were to stand by in Noct's time of need? The need to protect his charge caused an imbalance in his judgement, the fierce and unwavering loyalty to those close to him pushed whatever remained of his clear mind out of the way. Which explains how the strategist ended up in Gralea, confused and disoriented.

_I must ask, for all of you to forgive me._

It was an impulse that led him to play along with Ardyn, after being plagued with a vision of what's to come, Ignis would do anything to ensure Noct could see the dawn. Anything. Gladio would have laid down his life for his King, Ignis would do the same without hesitation.

Gralea was just like the stories and reports, lifeless and mechanical, scarcely a living being in sight, if any actually. MT's were created here, daemons experimented on, it's no wonder Aranea seemed to be keen on leaving. Whether it was always this deserted was of no immediate concern, right now, Ignis needed to find out why Ardyn gave him this choice in the first place. It's doubtful it was out of the kindness of his heart, the man did nothing that wouldn't benefit him in some inadvertent way, that'd been made clear from Pryna's recurring visions.

It'd be a lie if he said he wasn't afraid, with no clue as to what he may face or if he may return to Noct, Prompto and... Gladio, in one breathing piece. The path laid before him was pretty clear, save for a few daemons, with only the route made clear Ignis had no choice but to follow blindly, Ardyn's voice taunting in his head and practically leading him by the hand. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done such a thing, the four of them had to follow similarly to the Disc of Cauthess. 

Eventually Ignis knew where he was being taken, the single walkway led to one destination, in turn leading to the idea that if this was indeed what he hoped it was, he wouldn't be walking out of here alive. If this was the real Crystal at the end of the walkway, Ardyn most certainly wasn't going to allow him to live to tell the others. Unless, it's what he counted on all along.

The room in which the Crystal had been stored was soon enveloped in darkness, leaving just enough light for Ignis to see Ardyn approach, smiling at him grotesquely, black liquid streaked across grey skin from his eyes- now daemonic looking- and mouth.

"Just what are you after Noct for?" He questioned, fists clenched at his sides, ready to defend if needs be.

Ardyn's grin widened, quickly turning sinister. "Revenge in a sense. The boys just happens to be a means to an end." As he spoke, the darkness dispersed and his face returned to normal. "Dear me, I never properly introduced myself. My name is: Ardyn Lucis Caelum." Ignis remained weary as he slowly raised his arms, utterly gobsmacked as an armiger resembling Noct's appeared, though where Noct's was blue, Ardyn's was red.

His words spun around Ignis rattled mind for a moment, until things started to click into place. "The Founder King?"

"Oh! No. That would be my dear brother, who snatched the throne and cast me aside into exile. You know... I've never been called 'Your Majesty' before. Would you do me the honour?" He jested, a cocky smile on his face.

"No. My allegiance lies with the True King, and him alone!" Ignis spat, changing his entire stance to defend, if Ardyn had revealed himself and had his weapons on display, he had to be prepared. 

Ardyn waved a hand dismissively, scoffing. "Then off with your head." With that, he sent his arms flying towards Ignis, purposely aiming to injure than kill. Almost as though he were a child playing with his food.

Thankfully, Ignis had sparred with Noct, allowing him to notice subtle signs of incoming attacks based off body language alone. It wasn't enough to simply know the signs of an attack or block, he had to try and best Ardyn of all people, someone who he had never seen with so much as a table knife let alone royal arms. However, the man wasn't content at using every weapon at his disposal, he also used hand-to-hand combat- well, he aimed powerful kicks at Ignis' head.

Perfectly timed blocks lead to counter-strikes, at which point there'd be an opening large enough he could quickly strike with his daggers, quickly being the keyword because Ardyn recovered faster than anyone or anything Ignis had fought thus far. So, as well as delivering blows, he also received more than enough punishing attacks that forced him to his knees. Another well-aimed kick to his shoulder had Ignis rolling back across the walkway, arms drawn up to minimise any extra damage and protect himself.

Unfortunately Ardyn had a few tricks up his sleeve. Ignis crouched defensively, seeing no other option than evade, glaring at the flamboyant man. Seeing this, Ardyn threw him a grin and with each raise of his arms more royal arms appeared, all pointed in Ignis' direction and of course he knew there was no possible way to evade each one. With a pointed look and a devious grin, Ardyn thrust his arms forwards, triggering the weapons to move with them, striking this way and that. Thankfully for Ignis, only a mere few hit him but the sheer force of being struck by them sent his toppling backwards.

He made yet another mistake when he sat up, one of the many arms flew straight towards him and with no escape it hit him hard.

When Ignis regained consciousness, he had fallen amongst the rubble that used to the walkway and most of the surrounding building by the looks of things. Everything ached, his head most of all, most likely from the fall rather than the fight. Without a doubt, there'd be horrible bruising and a few broken bones, he'd definitely feel it when the adrenaline wears off. Ardyn soon came back into view, unsurprisingly unscathed and smiling down at him.

"You see, I do not merely seek revenge on the boy, no, I seek revenge on the Crystal that cast me aside in favour of that insufferable fool." He began, placing a foot on Ignis' chest, pressing down enough that it made breathing taxing and he had to grit his teeth not to give an ounce of satisfaction to the man. "He's certainly taking his time to ascend, though. If only there was a way to expedite the process!" Ardyn removed his foot, summoning a dagger and striking down at Ignis' head, only he rolled away just in time to avoid it.

What he countered with however, seemed to shock Ardyn if nothing else. In his hand, he held the Ring of the Lucii, panting as he mustered up the strength to make a final stand.

"This world... Means nothing to me, so do with it as you wish. I refuse to stand by and let Noct sacrifice his life to save us, I won't let you take him away! Even if it cost my own life to save him..." Ignis started, the ring heavy in his hand and he knew there'd be no coming back from this, not now. He knew one day he'd die for his King, it's a shame that day came so soon. With renewed vigour, Ignis stood tall. "I will, pay the price!"

As soon as he slipped the ring on his finger, everything slowed to a near halt, a deep blue haze covering everything but Ardyn. Ignis was no fool, he knew the Lucii would judge him and if he were to be deemed unworthy, he'd perish, on the off chance they granted him temporary usage of said ring, there'd be a heavy price for it.

_"You call upon the wards of this world's future mortal. But you are not of royal blood. If it is power you seek, you must first stand our judgement."_ A voice said, deep and commanding. Unfamiliar.

_"Wait. I know what this soul is prepared to do. He has stood by the Chosen King, protected him and will continue to do so. He seeks to safeguard the future and the Chosen King, just as much as the last."_ That voice sounded all too familiar, soft spoken and knowing but there seemed to be a hint of sadness or grief, it could just be Ignis' imagination.

_"The last to be granted our favour, you spoke true young King. Very well. Your worth has been weighed, young one. The price of our strength is a life, yours or one of your comrades, we will withhold it for now, but a sacrifice must be made."_

The last to have been granted use of the ring was Nyx, Ignis had heard various rumours about his disappearance, Gladio silenced them after Cor mentioned it, feeding the information back to Ignis through idle chatter. He was indeed a good man, a hero among his comrades and a mentor to both Gladio and Ignis back in the day.

Ignis pondered on what they could possibly take that was worth more than his life. Until a vicious assault of pain coursed through him, the attack intensified at his eyes and then he understood. In exchange for a handful of the ring's power, his eyesight would be taken from him. Various moments played in his mind but the very first time he met Noctis, that was the one that stayed, purple burns breaking the picture until nothing was left but darkness. It was to be the world he lived in now, if he survived the ordeal, countless tried and ultimately failed, how was he any different? He was expendable in the end.

_Promise me you won't do anything stupid..._

Those words now taunted him. Ignis had broke that promise one too many times today, he briefly wondered if he'd ever get the chance to apologise. If not, Gladio would likely blame himself and that hurt more than anything, knowing his choices would have dire consequences for both himself and others.

Ignis made been so absorbed in his thoughts he hadn't realised he'd been screaming in agony, the pain multiplied tenfold by the time he was aware Ardyn was chuckling at his suffering. Acutely aware that not only had his eyes been damaged, but the skin around his left had been burned terribly and at various other points of his body. It would only get worse the more time he wasted. Interestingly, the flames that began to engulf his body like an aura were purple, as if a mixture of Ardyn's and Noct's.

\------------

"How much farther?" Gladio growled, casting a sideways glance at Ravus.

"We should arrive in a matter of minutes. Impatient, aren't you."

Prompto grabbed the back of Gladio's jacket as he made to throttle the commander, shaking his head with pleading, puppy dog eyes. Noct sat slumped on the floor, still not fully awake but just enough he knew what was going on. Awake enough to be infuriated and anxious.

They had no idea what Ignis had gotten himself into, no idea what they'd find- if anything- of their missing comrade. Gladio hoped he didn't do anything brash before they got there, he knew how level-headed Ignis was but he also knew how reckless he could be, especially when it came to himself or Noct.

"Call it morbid curiosity, but what exactly is that boy to you? I've never seen someone act so brutishly over a simple comrade-in-arms." Ravus enquired, keeping his gaze firmly set on the floor.

Gladio could have knocked him out, but Ravus was doing them a big favour by taking them to Gralea, so restraint and gratitude was needed. "He's... He's more than just a comrade, we grew up together, I knocked out bullies for him 'cause he wouldn't do it himself- Selfless bastard..."

Ravus gave him a once over, considering asking another question but held his tongue, the look in Gladio's eyes said enough. They lit up talking about Ignis, he couldn't help the smile that appeared either, it's just what happened and it was unavoidable. Back when they were but boys, Gladio would grin like an idiot during training or during a lecture from his father, merely thinking of some terrible pun Ignis had said earlier on. They only got worse as he got older but it was one of the many things Gladio loved about him.

Right now, he was nothing but concerned. His hands felt clammy, he couldn't swallow the lump in his throat or soothe his unsettled stomach. Prompto couldn't sit still, he tried, he really did, but his nerves wouldn't calm down. The poor boy didn't want to seem overbearing on the barely conscious Noctis but he was obviously very worried for both him and Ignis. Enough he broke his vow of not biting his nails.

"We've arrived. I urge you not to rush ahead, you've no way of knowing what awaits you nor where you're going, I will accompany you until we find your comrade." Ravus said, clearly not waiting for protests or complaints. Not that there were any, with an incapacitated King and two jittery retainers it would be a suicide mission.

Upon landing Noct regained enough coherency to walk on his own and ask questions. He didn't like the answers. Gritting his teeth so not to start ranting about this, that and the other, something they were all grateful for as they trekked through Gralea. The place was dead silent, it'd be welcome if it weren't so unnerving, the only noise being their fast-paced footsteps echoing.

Some time later, familiar screams echoed faintly, Gladio's heart lurching as he listened and his body turned cold as the realisation struck him. Noct seemed to have come to the same conclusion, his eyes wide, teeth bared and a wild glint in his eye. There was only one person it could be, unless Gralea isn't as dead as it seems. So they ran, chasing the faint sounds of colliding metal and grunts of pain.

Ravus led the boys down an alternate route. They'd been forced to do so with the usual route reduced to rubble, the new path seemed to be more of a back alley than a used passage. Their new course only amplified Ignis agonised shouts, though they weren't so frequent, every single cry tore at Gladio's heart and the malicious laughter that followed only stoked his anger. Now, Gladio could hardly dawdle, he and Noct broke into a sprint in fear they'd be too late.

The commander halted suddenly, grimacing with a resigned sigh. "This is where I leave you, go forth, rescue the boy and Noctis... Take that which is rightfully yours." He said, unforced and true.

Noct nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I... I'm sorry... About Luna. She deserved better than this."

Ravus frowned but he didn't say anything more, merely accepting Noct's apology before he turned on his heel, glancing at Gladio over his shoulder. "I pray you're ready to shield those that need it, especially your King. Go now, follow the path ahead and you'll find what you seek, I hope for your sake it is not too late."

Gladio lingered for but a moment, watching Ravus depart, quickly turning to follow Noct and Prompto, who ran ahead to save time. No matter how fast they ran, it didn't feel as though they were making any progress, they were of course but time seemed to slow down, almost tauntingly with their goal so close.

Right now, Gladio'd give anything to go back a day, to turn back time but retain his memory, to warn the others and stop Ignis getting separated in the first place. It broke his heart to think that he may never see Ignis' smile again. It's the Shield's duty to protect his King, Gladio has been fully prepared to lay his life down, now more than ever, he can be easily replaced but no-one can advise and guide Noct the way Ignis can, not really.

"Noct! Over here!" Gladio shouts, kneeling beside a sizeable hole in the wall, just big enough for them to fit through. If the array of colours were any indication, this was where they'd find Ignis.

They scrambled through the gap, surveying the area before rushing off blindly. Gladio couldn't move in that instant, his feet rooted to the ground as he met Ignis' gaze, watching as the adviser collapsed gracelessly. There was no sign of Ardyn and he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"Ignis!" Noct yelled, warping over to him, leaving Gladio and Prompto to dash after him.

Up close, Gladio could see the reason Ignis had screamed so much, his body donned in burns right up to his face, reaching over his left eye to his eyebrow. No amount of MT's could have done this, nor any kind of daemon they'd seen thus far. His question was answered as Noct slid something from Ignis' hand, which upon further inspection... Was the Ring of the Lucii. The very thing Lunafreya had risked her life to protect, that had taken so many lives both royal and common.

Gladio couldn't help the tear that fell, dropping to his knees beside Ignis, carefully taking his hand, mournful of the weak grasp and ruined flesh. "What the hell were you thinking?" He whispered, watching the slow rise and fall of the advisers chest fearfully.

"How could we... Let this happen?" Prompto sobbed, a tentative hand on Noct's shaking shoulder.

Noct looked at Gladio apologetically, then to Ignis, willing away the tears that threatened to fall. "No. How could I, let this happen? I... I couldn't protect you, or Luna, I'm sorry..." Noct's sadness gave way to determination, slipping the ring on his finger hesitantly. He and Gladio helped Ignis sit up, Noct relinquishing his hold for a second. "Please... Help me, protect my friends!" He asked, hand out-stretched towards the Crystal, sat mockingly a few feet away. Frankly, Gladio was willing to give up and Ignis go in peace, his wounds looked terribly painful and even if he lived, he'd be severely scarred and possibly disabled.

It seems however, someone holds Noct in high regard. Wisps of light emerged from the Crystal, each one that touched the adviser mended his wounds, not all of them but his face showed more relief than pain now. Gladio's hold on his hand tightened unconsciously, leaning his head on Ignis' shoulder lightly. When Noct moved away completely, Prompto took his place.

He looked at each of them in turn, gaze lingering on his oldest friend a little longer, giving them a final nod. Gladio didn't fully understand what he was doing until he warped over to the Crystal, turning to face them all once more and Prompto whimpered when he realised. By now Ignis seemed to have passed out, Noct locked eyes with Gladio and he knew what he was asking without needing to hear it.

In a flash of light, he was gone. The Crystal's light faded with Noct's disappearance, and with it Gladio's hope. There was no telling how long Noct would be gone and the night's were already growing longer, it wouldn't be long before the sun would disappear, too.

Prompto was the first to break the silence. "What do we do now?"

"I... I dunno." Gladio replied, staring mindlessly at Ignis' hand, still in his grasp. "First things first, we gotta get outta here. Should get back to Altissia, wait for Iggy to wake up."

"What if he doesn't?! What if... What if that's it?! Noct's gone... Iggy looks like he'll never wake up... We don't have anywhere to go... The daemons are gonna take over and we can't do anything about it!" Prompto lamented. Gladio had the urge to knock some sense into him, but he's right. For once. There is nothing they can do. 

"C'mon. No use hanging 'round here anyways. We'll wait a few days, maybe a week, then... We'll figure it out." Gladio said, letting go of Ignis' hand, watching as it fell limply to his side. Putting on his best poker face, he swept Ignis into his arms, cursing the man's long legs. Everything dawned on him then, the heavy weight of his partner somewhat unsettling.

_I fear as though something terrible is going to happen but... There's nothing I can do to stop it. Whatever's coming... We'll be powerless against it and it terrifies me._

Gladio's stomach dropped as he recalled Ignis' words, mentally scolding himself for thinking it nothing more than caffeine induced paranoia. He didn't like feeling powerless. He couldn't save Lunafreya, couldn't get to Ignis in time and couldn't save Noct. Some Shield he turned out to be. Beside him, Prompto sniffed, rubbing his eyes to clear away traces of his tears, grimacing at his ruined nails.

To Altissia it is, hopefully Ravus stuck around so they can hitch a ride at least. It'd be a long walk otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I will add another chapter, as an epilogue of sorts, seems to be a fitting place to end this chapter rather than drag it on. That'll be the end of this story though, I'll start writing up the third story once I sort my life out (Won't be long I swear), but that's the plan! Thank's for sticking with me, given this chapter feels quite lackluster to me, but it's down to you how you see it. Just feels kinda crappy to me, but I tried? I even sat there listening to the Ep. Ignis soundtrack while writing it...


	12. Chapter eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot more dialogue here than I thought... Sorry...?

No-one likes playing the waiting game. Least of all Gladio, he’s never been the most patient man but there’s a difference between waiting for a bus and waiting for your partner to wake up, not from sleep might you. In fact, it’s the helplessness that irritates him more. More often than not, Prompto will come in to relieve Gladio of his watch, only to be told ‘no’. It’s not like he meant to be harsh on the kid, but they’re all stressed out and snapping at one another can’t be helped. 

It’s been a few days since Altissia fell into ruin, since they lost Noct and Luna. For Gladio, he silently prays Ignis will wake up soon, lest he lose all hope and the rest of his heart. He’s tried planning out their next moves but plans really aren’t his forte, both he and Prompto together can’t so much as cook a decent meal, let alone plan the next however many years. 

So Gladio just waits, perched in a chair, holding Ignis’ hand like it’ll miraculously trigger something. Instead, it’s like he’s holding ice, save the occasional twitch. 

“C’mon Iggy… I know you can hear me, get your stubborn head outta the clouds and come back to me.” Gladio pleads, given the fact he knows it’s slowly becoming a lost cause. His eyes were drawn to the scar around Ignis’ finger, one of many permanent reminders of that day and the stupid choice he made. 

Over the past few days, Ignis’ wounds healed and in their wake left scars marring his skin, considerably less than there could have been but still… Gladio found it hard to look at them, even though he has countless scars of his own. His eyes were bandaged for the sake of precaution, an infection is the last thing they need. Make no mistake, doesn’t blame himself, not entirely at least, Noct and Ignis are just as responsible for this mess. He doesn’t blame Prompto though, poor kid didn’t know what to do with himself half the time but was still a huge help. 

“You mighta kicked Ravus’ ass, maybe Ardyn’s too, but you wake up and I’m gonna kick your ass for bein’ so damn stupid. Well… I’ll try anyways, I’m sure Prompto would help,” He began, reaching into his pocket and holding a chain in his fist, rather than a pendant though, he’d put a simple, silver ring on it. “Was kinda tempted to put a Haribo ring on this y’know? Mess with you a bit, not that you’d mind, you being you. Don’t think you’d wanna wear another ring, so this is the next best thing.” Gladio sighed heavily, enclosing it in Ignis’ hand before he rose to his feet, in dire need of a long walk. 

(16:42) Gladio: wanna trade? I need a walk

Prompto must’ve been playing on his phone because he replied almost instantly. 

(16:43) Prompto: sure buddy, be right there.

Sure enough, a soft knock came at the door and Prompto poked his head round sheepishly. He’d brought his phone charger and an energy drink with him, backpack slung lazily over his shoulder.

“You okay?” He asked, settling into Gladio’s seat, crossing his legs. “I think there’s some food left in the kitchen if you’re hungry, big guy like you needs ta eat, too.” Gladio didn’t miss how Prompto’s expression softened when he looked at the bed. “That what I think it is?”

Gladio pursed his lips, knowing Prompto had a sharp eye and it wasn’t like the chain was well hidden in Ignis’ loose grasp. “Depends what you think it is. Won’t be long, text me if you need me, yeah?”

“Yeah, ‘course.” He said with a smile, weak and forced as it may be. “Don’t worry buddy, we ain’t going anywhere. Bring me back another one of these, will ya?”

Shaking his head with a fond smile, Gladio nodded once and left the room. His back ached and his rear was numb from sitting down for so long. The trek downstairs was longer now, what with the damage sustained and the amount of people taking refuge here. The Leville had been turned into a refugee centre for the time being, a couple of doctors buzzing around wherever they were needed at the time, most of them running on caffeine and nerves. Most food was being rationed, not that they were running low yet but there’d be no telling when Lucis could send supplies, Gladio had already asked Iris to inform the others. 

Nevertheless, he pocketed one of the remaining energy drinks for Prompto, grabbing a coffee and a sandwich for himself. Walking back, Gladio ended up giving half his sandwich to a kid, he looked like he hadn’t eaten in a while and there weren’t any adults around that looked like his parents, or a relative of any kind at least. 

As an afterthought, Gladio decided it was high time they had a laugh, so, he shook up the drink for Prompto. He knew it’d explode, Iris having done the exact same thing back in Insomnia one too many times, but maybe it’d lighten the mood a bit. Plastering on his best poker face, Gladio re-entered the room and tossed the can over to Prompto. He caught it gleefully and shimmied out of the chair, accepting it was Gladio’s seat until further notice, plopping down in the other chair near the table. 

Even with his seat free, Gladio remained standing, no doubt relishing in being able to stretch his legs after so long, staring idly out of the window. As soon as Prompto cracked the can open, Gladio couldn’t help his laughter any longer, the poor kid was covered in the sticky drink, glaring at him from under wet bangs. 

“Sorry, Prom, couldn’t resist.” He admitted, tossing a towel over to Prompto to clean up with.

"Uh-huh. Man! This is gonna take ages to wash out!" Prompto groaned, scrubbing at his face. "Hey… I'm sorry for what I said in Graela… I was upset is all." 

"Don't worry, I get it, we all did stupid shit in some way-” Gladio stopped suddenly, a soft murmur and moving sheets catching his attention, Prompto’s too. “- Iggy? Iggy!”

Ignis propped himself up on his elbows, head tilted towards Gladio, towards the source of noise. Prompto opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, unable to string a sentence together in his shock. After a moment of standing there bewildered, Gladio clambered over to help him sit up properly, silently basking in the renewed warmth from Ignis’ skin, a steadying hand on his shoulder while the adviser regained his bearings. 

Ignis turned his head, searching blindly for… Well, anything. “I can’t- Noct. Where is he? Is he alright?” 

Gladio shot a glance at Prompto, stomach plummeting further at the defeated slump of Prompto’s shoulders. “Iggy… How much d’you remember? Scratch that for now. Prom, wanna run find a doctor?” 

“Gotcha, back in a jiffy, glad to have you back Iggy.” He said, a brief but bright smile on his face as he left. 

Gladio waited for the click of the door before he turned back to Ignis, patiently waiting for something to ease his frantic mind. He carded his fingers through matted sandy hair, his other hand still rested on Ignis’ shoulder, exhaling deeply before he let go completely and sat beside him instead. 

“Iggy… How much d’you remember?” Gladio asked quietly, unsure if he’d like the answer or what he wanted it to be. 

There was a moment of silence, Ignis’ hands balled into fists in the sheets. “I remember everything. Everything up until you arrived. Gladio… Please- Please tell me you’re all alright. I can’t… I need… I don’t even know.” Ignis’ voice cracked, moving to hold his head in his hands. He stiffened at feeling something foreign in his hand, previously unnoticed, tilting his head inquisitively at Gladio.

“Later. Shit, Iggy, I dunno how to say this gently. Noct… He’s gone.” Gladio said. Right now, he was thankful he couldn’t see Ignis eyes, he can feel the almost heartbreak so he doesn’t need to see it. “I’m sorry. Me ‘n’ Prompto- We’re fine but you- You’re hurt Igs.”

“I’m fine.” Ignis interjected, realising his mistake almost immediately after he spoke. “Be that as it may, I fear we have more pressing matters than my injuries.”

Gladio would have told him just how wrong he was, that his recovery was paramount but Ignis would see through it, he always has and always will. Thankfully Prompto returned before he had to face that particular conversation. So Gladio relinquished his seat, patting Ignis’ shoulder reassuringly once and moving to stand beside Prompto. 

“You’ve been out for a few days, I’m sure your wounds have mended by now and I’ll be able to tell you the extent of the damage.” The doctor said, carefully examining Ignis’ arms where most of the scars were. He then began to unravel the bandages across his eyes and Gladio could barely contain himself, wiping his sweaty palms on his trousers, beside him Prompto wasn’t faring much better. Gingerly the doctor touched the scarred tissue, properly inspecting Ignis’ eyes. 

The right seemed to be functioning well, there was hardly any scarring either, save for a small one bisecting his eyebrow. The left however looked to be a lost cause. His eye, once a beautiful green, now a milky white that made Gladio’s breath hitch and Prompto gasp. That’s not including the horrible scarring that extended from his eyebrow to just beneath his cheekbone, not a smooth line like Gladio’s, this was jagged and angry, standing out against Ignis’ pale skin.

“Well, the good news is: There’s no sign of infection or irritation to your eyes or the scar tissue, you right appears to be functioning normally but I’d be cautious nonetheless. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about the left, whatever happened to you caused irreparable damage but at least it’s still intact.” The doctor spoke mainly to Ignis, but knowing the other two were listening intently, he turned to acknowledge them. “He’ll be alright, he’ll never regain sight on his left side but there seems to be no damage anywhere else. Some food, water and rest, he’ll be back on his feet in no time.”

“Thanks, ‘preciate it.” Gladio replied, staring at Ignis with an unreadable expression. 

“Good luck boys, you three look like you could use some good news, I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”

“You’ve done more than enough, you have my thanks.” Ignis offered a weak smile, still processing everything, his gaze firmly fixed on the floor. He waited for the soft click of the door once again before he shifted his gaze to Gladio and Prompto. “It appears we need to address the garula in the room.”

“Uh- Which one? ‘Cause Gladio’s always been here.” Prompto joked, trying to lighten the mood. He giggled a little, stepping away to avoid Gladio’s elbow. 

Ignis looked less than amused. “Prompto, while jokes are appreciated, now is not the time.”

Prompto immediately piped down, shooting an apologetic glance at the adviser. Gladio shifted and crossed his arms, knowing exactly what Ignis was talking about and which conversation involved Prompto. 

“It can wait. You just woke up Iggy. Food, drink and shower first, talk later. In that order, if I gotta force you I will.” Gladio ordered, leaving no room for protests. Ignis seemed to be in agreement though, for now at least, he didn’t take kindly to being ordered around about trivial matters, his health being one of those things apparently. Now it appeared as though he didn’t have the energy to argue. 

Prompto took that as his cue to make himself scarce, under the pretence of needing to check on the refugees. Not that he was really needed, even so, it gave the other two room to talk properly. 

Gladio all but ushered Ignis into the bathroom, pausing to leave the chain on the bathroom counter beside the one Noct gave him. While the other cleaned up, no doubt relieved to finally be rid of the dirt and blood staining his skin and clumped in his hair, Gladio stared pensively out of the window. Trying to formulate something to say, something to explain the situation that Ignis undoubtedly knew already. Even in such a state of mind, he couldn’t miss the quiet sobs coming from the bathroom, barely audible over the spray of water. He didn’t entertain the thought of trying to comfort the adviser, it was better to let him deal with it alone this time. When Ignis finally emerged from the bathroom, clean and visibly healthier, or looking healthier at least, he was tongue-tied. 

Before he even opened his mouth to speak, Ignis held up a hand to stop him, scowling at the floor like it personally offended him. “Before you lecture me to an inch of my sanity, answer me two things. One: What happened to Noctis? Two: What is this?” He asked, pointedly not making eye contact with Gladio but opening his fist that the chain was enclosed in. 

“Noct… When we got to you, well, he begged for the crystal to save you, in a way. It did- Clearly. He did what he needed to, disappeared into it when he was sure you were healing, taking the light with him… And that-” Gladio said, nodding to Ignis’ extended hand. “Remember I told you, I’d put a ring on your finger someday… Well, after that shit happened, didn’t think you’d ever wanna wear one again so…”

There was a long silence, Ignis just stared blankly at his hand and the chain in it, the silver ring gleaming tauntingly at him. “I- I’m at a loss for words. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem appropriate at all.”

“You wearing it is good enough for me, think of it as a promise for the future.” Gladio closed the distance between them, taking the chain to slip it over Ignis’ head, it was long enough that the ring attached to it was hidden beneath his shirt. Just. “Brings me to my next point.”

“I fear as though I’m not going to like this.”

“I don’t want you hunting anymore, or risking your neck at all.” 

Ignis sighed and finally fixed his gaze on Gladio. “So you’d rather I spend the rest of my days holed up somewhere? I’m not an invalid, Gladio. I have a duty to Noct and I intend to see it through.”

“Fuck sake, Iggy. I almost lost you once, I ain’t gonna sit by and watch you get yourself killed, I can’t do it again. It’s my job to protect Noct, not yours and not Prompto’s.”

“You can disappear for weeks, without a word I might add, and risk your life without the need to because Noct was perfectly safe with us and we could have used your help… But I can’t protect him from Ardyn?” Ignis started, his stare turned into a cold glare. “You weren’t there, Gladio, I had no choice.”

“Like hell you had no choice! I could see everything! You could’ve fought back, you could’ve stalled ‘til I got there, hell, you could’ve waited for me! There’s always another way. Always. Damn it, Ignis! Look at yourself, you're half-blind for fuck sake!”

“I know full well the consequence of my actions. Yet despite that, I am still capable and I refuse to be coddled. I will not hide away. I will not sit idly by while the world is enveloped in darkness, to be overrun by daemons and scourge. You have no idea what’s coming! No clue what will happen!” Ignis stepped back, wide eyed at the sudden outburst.

Gladio balled his fists at his sides, gritting his teeth in an effort not to put a hole in something, be it a wall or Ignis. He’d never intentionally hurt the man, never, but sometimes he’s so frustrating it’s hard to resist. There was one near miss, years ago, Ignis had overworked himself to the point he collapsed, his argument against help or a break nearly caused Gladio to make a huge mistake. From then on, they’d try and actively avoid spats like that, Gladio’d often take a walk or go to the gym to cool off. 

“Then tell me. I can handle daemons, I can handle the dark- As long as I have you.”

Ignis growled and turned away from him, raking a hand through his hair, trying to adjust non-existent glasses only to frowned again. “In order to bring back the light… To rid the world of daemons and scourge…” Ignis trailed off, concern written on Gladio’s face as the adviser paled. 

“What? Ignis, what has to happen?” Gladio pressed.

“Noct- Noctis must sacrifice himself.”

Gladio didn’t like that entire sentence. Not one bit. He’d heard the stories, the legends associated with the Chosen King, every child in Insomnia had heard them. The Chosen King, with the power of the Six at his side, the King of Light would dispel the darkness and purge the daemons. None of those stories ended like that.

He and Ignis had been raised to protect and care for Noct, to guide him when he became King, they’d had their duties drilled into their minds as children and accepted them. He’d expected the road to be tough for sure, but he didn’t expect their journey to end so soon. Noct was meant to grow old, have children and rule for a long time, with Gladio and Ignis ever at his side. Now… Knowing Noct would have to die for them, he wished he wouldn’t come back. 

“You’re lying.” Gladio ground out. Deep down, he knew Ignis wouldn’t lie about such a thing but some small part of him believed it wasn’t true, but Ignis was almost never wrong. 

“Why would I lie about such a thing? I intend to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t come to pass, there must be another way and I will find it, whether you like it or not.”

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear by now, it never would be. Ignis had always been a force all his own, weathering the immovable object that was Gladio more often than not. So for Gladio to actually win an argument with him took a miracle. This time however, his resolve hadn’t crumbled entirely. 

“The phrase ignorance is bliss cannot be more appropriate.” Ignis muttered. 

“Iggy… C’mon. Are you really gonna throw everything away on a whim? After all the shit that’s happened? I can’t- I won’t let you make another stupid decision. Who’s gonna be there to make sure Prompto doesn’t embarrass the crap outta himself talkin’ to Cindy? ‘Cause I sure as hell ain’t gonna stop him. Who’s gonna make sure Noct eats his veggies when he gets back? Not me.” Gladio’s heart sank again, knowing that would likely never come to pass but he had a point to make. “I need you. Noct needs you. Prompto needs you, damn it.”

Ignis would be lying if he said he didn’t feel guilty. Gladio had already lost so much and now he’s going to lose his purpose as well as a brother, it’s understandable he doesn’t want Ignis to continue but he isn’t the only one destined to lose a part of himself and his reason for being. So if there’s any way to change fate, then he’s going to find it. 

“This bickering is getting us nowhere. Please, Gladio, I know I have made reckless choices as of late but understand my intentions at least. I do not regret my actions and I wouldn’t change a damn thing.” Ignis pleaded, clutching the front of Gladio’s vest, head tucked under his chin.

Gladio took a deep breath, feeling his anger seep away slowly but the weight on his shoulders refused to give. “We’ll work somethin’ out. I just don’t wanna see you get hurt again, I don’t think I could handle it. I love you too much.” He said, enveloping Ignis in strong arms, willing away his own sobs in favour of seeming strong. 

The rest of that conversation could wait until they were back in Lucis, neither of them want it but if there’s things left unsaid, it’ll only create a rift between them. If anything, right now, Gladio’s just grateful Ignis is alive and well, or as well as can be given the circumstances. Without him, Gladio would have one less reason to keep fighting and if things are going to end up going to hell, then he needs all the motivation he can get. Iris, Prompto, Ignis and Noct: They’re the main reasons he has to keep moving, keep fighting and survive whatever’s coming. After all, Noct’s going to need all the help he can get when he returns. 

If he returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Sorry it took so long, my cat was determined to walk across my keyboard every damn time I tried writing... Literally, every damn time, it's like he knows when I'm busy... ANYWAY thanks for sticking with me! I switched it up a little with regards to Ignis' injuries because I don't believe even the crystal can fully reverse a blood price but y'know, each to their own. I guess this ending coulda been better but I can always come back, con-crit is welcome (For the whole story), just be gentle with me ;-; 
> 
> So, thanks for reading, I had fun writing this ^^ Some chapters are definitely going to be reworked because... Just because... No other reason. Until next time! I'm going to start working on the next instalment, hopefully it won't be as long as this...? But we'll see, I can't predict my writing habits and when the plot bunny appears. I'm also going to write up some one-shots I've cooked up, maybe try my hand at smut... Probably not cause it makes me giggle trying to write it but y'never know! Some Promptis maybe, with a side of good ol' Gladnis...


End file.
